HC Deb 07 March 1912 vol 35 cc525-6
Mr. LUNDON

asked whether a tenant of a labourer's cottage is entitled to sit, act, and vote as a rural district councillor on a local authority; is there any Section in the Irish Labourers Act which empowers those having charge of their administration to reject applications for cottages or plots, under a scheme formulated by a rural district council, on the sole grounds that the rural councillor in the electoral division in which such applicants were situated occupied a cottage and was tenant of the same to the council of which he happened to be a member; was any circular ever issued by the Local Government Board on the legality or otherwise of a tenant of a labourer's cottage acting as rural or urban councillor; and, if so, when and at what particular date was it issued?

Mr. BIRRELL

It has been judicially decided that no legal disqualification for the office of rural district councillor attaches to a person by reason of his being the tenant of a labourer's cottage. There is no such Section in the Labourers (Ireland) Acts as that indicated in the question. A circular was issued by the Local Government Board on the 12th March, 1901, to every rural district council explaining the effect of the judicial decision referred to.

Mr. LUNDON

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that quite recently in Limerick the County Court Judge rejected a number of applications for labourer's cottages because of the reasons set out in the question; and, in view of the fact that the Kilmalloch District Council are just now carrying through a scheme for the granting of 700 additional hall-acres, will the circular referred to by the hon. Gentleman be again sent to those having charge of the administration of the Labourers Acts, because, if not, this County Court Judge may inflict, in his ignorance of the law, a further penalty on the working classes of county Limerick.

Mr. BIRRELL

If the circular has not been successful it must be repeated.

Mr. WILLIAM REDMOND

asked when the Local Government Board intend to hold the next inquiry into the scheme for labourers' cottages in the district of Tulla, county Clare?

Mr. BIRRELL

The Local Government Board are not at present in a position to say when an inquiry will be held.