§ 82. Mr. LUNDONasked whether any money from the million Grant will be advanced to rural district councils in the south of Ireland for the carrying through of schemes under the Irish Labourers Act; how much of the million has at present been allocated; and on what grounds has the Local Government Board refused to accede to the demands of those rural councils in the county of Limerick who have yet to provide for a number of labourers?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe total amount of loans actually sanctioned out of the additional million provided by the Labourers Act, 1911, up to this date is £172,777, out of which £31,765 has been granted to rural districts in Munster. As regards the last paragraph of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given to previous similar questions on this subject.
§ Mr. GINNELLIs it not a fact that the Local Government Board for Ireland has substituted a rule of its own for that laid down by the Labourers Acts for the expenditure of this £1,000,000 of public money, with the result that the money is withheld from councils entitled to it and given to councils not entitled to it on sanitary grounds?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir; I do not think that is the case at all.
§ 85. Mr. LUNDONasked the numbers in the way of cottages built up to 1st December, 1912, under the Labourers (Ireland) Acts in the rural districts of Kilmallock, Limerick (No. 1), Croom, Tipperary (No. 2), and Mitchelstown (No. 2); in how many of these rural districts has the second half-acre been given; and what is the price per week charged the tenants in each district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the table printed at page 152 of the Appendix to the Report of the Local Government Board for the year 1911–12, which shows the number of cottages actually provided on the 31st March last, as well as the number in course of construction on that date in each district referred to in the question. The Local Government Board have no statistics of the number of cottages built up to the 1st December. The table indicated above also gives the other particulars asked for in the question.
§ Mr. GINNELLIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware of a circular issued by the Local Government Board allocating this money to counties which did not receive money under the previous Acts?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe hon. Member no doubt remembers perfectly well that when the Bill was under discussion the great object I had in view was to benefit those parts of Ireland where this most beneficent operation had not already been carried on.
§ Mr. GINNELLAnd where it was not wanted. Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the Labourers (Ireland) Acts lay down the grounds upon which this 42 money is to be advanced and that the Local Government Board have issued a circular laying down other and different grounds?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir, I do not agree at all.