§ 37. Mr. BYRNEasked the Chief Secretary if he has received a resolution from the Dublin Fire and Property Losses Association, expressing dissatisfaction at the delay in settling the claims of the sufferers; if he is aware that six months have now elapsed since the destruction of the property in Dublin, and no payment on account of buildings has yet been made; and if he will say when they may expect to be paid? Mr. DUKE: I would refer the hon. Member to my replies of the 18th and 24th October to the questions of the hon. Members for the Harbour, St. Stephen's Green and College Green, Divisions of Dublin.
§ Mr. BYRNEHaving regard to the dates of the questions and answers, will the right hon. Gentleman not consider the advisability of paying these people immediately? Is he aware that the building trade in Dublin is in a deplorable state, and there are hundreds of men idle owing to places being burnt down? Cannot the right hon. Gentleman give something definite now?
§ Mr. DUKEThis is a matter which has been the subject of a great many consultations and deputations, and, so far as I am concerned, no time has been lost in dealing with it.
§ Mr. BRADYIf an owner is prepared to rebuild, and he has his plans ready, will the Government make an advance recommended by the Goulding Committee?
§ Mr. DUKEI am not, of course, able to commit the Treasury to a recommendation of the Committee, but as to the other part of my hon. Friend's question, if there is an owner in a position to build, and whose building depends on the money which has been pledged to be advanced being forthcoming, it would be available in the ordinary way in which moneys are advanced for building purposes. I may add, a case arose the other day in which this had to be considered, and it was thought a reasonable mode of dealing with the difficulty that the Treasury payment should be made against the certificate in the manner in which it is ordinarily provided from an extraneous source.
§ Mr. BRADYWhat I want to understand from the right hon. Gentleman is this: if specific cases can be given to him wherein the owners are prepared to start building to-morrow, say, will the money recommended by the Committee be advanced to such owners on the certificate; and will the right hon. Gentleman tell us or the owners how much in each case will be the amount of the grant?
§ Mr. DUKEI am still not able to commit the Treasury to accepting en bloc the recommendations of the Committee. The recommendations of the Committee, within their powers, will, as I understand the matter, be acted upon by the Treasury, but as to the other matters of procedure, when there is an owner who is ready to build, no difficulty will be put in his way by withholding the amount which is to be provided from public funds.