HC Deb 12 July 1910 vol 19 cc200-1
Mr. MEAGHER

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the majority of the local bodies in Ireland have, at various times since the passing of the Local Government Act of 1898, called on the Irish Government for a repeal of Section 83 (7) in order to have the work of preparing the Parliamentary voters' and jurors' lists prepared, as previous to the Act, locally instead of at the county council offices; and whether the Government intend giving assent to the appeals of the local bodies on this question?

Mr. BIRELL

Representations have been received from time to time from local bodies on this subject. The matter was carefully considered by my predecessor, who came to the conclusion that no case had been made out for legislation. I see no reason to differ from that view.

Mr. MEAGHER

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware, as a result of the working of Section 83 (7) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, clerks of unions who are superintendent registrars appointed since 1898 are[...] through an Order in Council of May last, obliged to prepare returns of the lists of adult persons who have died within their district for the year ending 30th June; whether the preparation of this Return necessitates the superintendent registrars to visit the officers of the registrars for the purpose of extracting the information required from the death registers in the custody of the registrars; whether, for the preparation of the return and for the necessary expenditure incurred thereby there is any remuneration fixed; and, if not, whether he will recommend the Local Government Board to issue a circular fixing a scale of fees for this duty, and have it made retrospective in its effects?

Mr. BIRRELL

The matters referred to were fully dealt with in the replies given by my predecessor to questions on the same subject asked on the 21st June and 5th July, 1906, to which I have nothing to add. It has been definitely decided that there is no legal power to authorise the payment of any remuneration to superintendent registrars for the performance of the duty referred to.