§ 29. Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary, in view of the reasons for which Parliament passed the Irish Labourers Acts, and which should control the administration of those Acts, if he will explain why the Local Government Board for Ireland has delayed for nearly two years the holding of the necessary inquiry into Scheme 18 promoted by the Mullingar Rural District Council for labourers' cottages, which the reports of the medical officers of health show to be necessary; whether the latest request of the council will be acceded to and the inquiry held forthwith; and, if not, will he say on what grounds this particular scheme is blocked?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on 13th March last.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether this scheme will be allowed to go through?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir.
§ 43. Sir WALTER NUGENTasked if or when the Local Government Board for Ireland propose to hold an inquiry into Scheme 18, adopted by the Rural District Council of Mullingar, county Westmeath, providing for the erection of houses for labourers in that district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question on this subject asked by the hon. Member for North-West Meath on 13th March last.
§ 52. Mr. SHEEHANasked when the last improvement scheme under the Labourers Acts, promoted by the Macroom Rural District Council, was sanctioned by the Local Government Board; how many cottages were included in the scheme, and how many have been built or are in course of erection; will he state the number for the erection of which no contracts have yet been entered into; can he explain why, for some years, no steps have been taken about their building; and, seeing that the labourers for whom these cottages with allotments were passed are living in houses which have been condemned by the medical officers as unfit for human habitation, what does he propose to do in the matter?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe last improvement scheme promoted by the Macroom District Council was sanctioned by the Local Government Board on 25th July, 1908. Two hundred and thirty-seven cottages were included in the scheme, of which ninety-three were completed and four in progress in January last. The Board have no information as to the number of cottages for the erection of which no contracts have been entered into. There are but few contractors in the district, and the council have only been able to accept such tenders as may be sent in from time to time for the erection of a limited number of cottages. The council appear to be anxious to complete the scheme as rapidly as possible.
§ 53. Mr. GUINEYasked under which Section of the Labourers (Ireland) Acts, 1883 to 1909, have the Local Government Board for Ireland been given power to refuse the applications of several rural district councils in Ireland, praying that inquiries might be held into improvement schemes for the building of labourers' houses, on the grounds that these rural councils have built more than a specified number; is he aware that several of these applications are made with the intention of replacing 1405 condemned houses; and what steps will the Local Government Board advise the rural councils to take with regard to the several Sections of the Public Health Acts which require the sanitary authorities to cause these condemned houses to be either made habitable or closed up, the occupiers in most cases having no other house available to live in?
§ Mr. BIRRELLUnder Section 7 of the Labourers Act of 1883 the Local Government Board, unless they think fit to proceed with a case, need not direct an inquiry. The Board have not laid down that if a rural district council has built more than a specified number of cottages no inquiry will be held into any further scheme promoted by that council. It is the fact that the schemes referred to provide for building cottages in place of condemned houses. The provisions of the Public Health Acts are well known by the rural district councils who are the sanitary authorities for their respective districts.
§ Mr. SHEEHANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Local Government Board have refused to hold inquiries into several of these schemes on the ground that some of the district councils have built a sufficiency of cottages and others have not?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThey have not laid down any rule of that sort. They were exceedingly anxious that the new million of money should be spent in those parts of Ireland where attention had not been properly paid to the supply of cottages.
§ Mr. SHEEHANWhy should this additional million be hung up to enable district councils to formulate their schemes when there are councils who have already formulated schemes?
§ Mr. BIRRELLWe want to increase the area of this beneficent legislation as much as we possibly can.
§ Mr. SHEEHANIs not this money for the purpose of enabling councils willing to do their duty to carry out that duty?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThat is so.
§ Mr. SHEEHANThen why should it not be spent there?