§ Mr. JOHN PHILLIPSasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) how long the Department Scheme No. 16 has been in force; how many village halls have been erected under the scheme, and the names of the villages; what are the conditions and terms of the loans with regard to repayment; why should the Department demand the whole control of these halls when the grant is not a free one; and whether he will consider the desirability of giving the promoters in the establishment of these village halls the same facilities in regard to repayment of loans as the Board of Works give to farmers for the erection of hay-barns, namely, 23 years, paying principal and interest in that term?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND (Mr. Cherry)Scheme No. 16 was published late in the year 1906. Village halls were erected at the following places with the assistance of loans from the Department:—Seirkieran, near Birr; Garrison, on the borders of county Cavan and Leitrim; Rilleshandra, county Cavan; Gurteen. county Sligo; Glenamaddy, county Galway. The loans in the first two cases were granted prior to the issue of the scheme. Repayment of loans in ten half-yearly instalments, with interest at the nominal rate of 2½, per cent. on the outstanding balance, is secured by a bond signed by the trustees in whom the hall is vested. The sole management of these halls is in the hands of the local trustees, hut the County Committee or the Department, on payment of certain agreed-upon fees, have prior claim to the use of the hall in connection with county schemes. The primary object of this scheme is to grant a limited number of loans for the erection of new, or for the repair of old, buildings in districts in which difficulty has been experienced in getting suitable accommodation for classes under county schemes. The amount allocated for the purpose of these loans by the Department, with the concurrence of the Agricultural Board, is very limited, and it is not intended to modify the conditions of the scheme as published.