§ 60. Mr. FIELDasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that his letter of 25th May, 1917, addressed to the town clerk of Tipperary, giving the situation of the forty-four cottages included seven in Blind Strreet, Tipperary, which, according to the letter of 27th April, 1917, received by the town clerk from the general valuation office, were valued for rating purposes in 1869-70; whether he is aware that nine cottages were given as being built in the townland of Morgasty, although fifteen cottages were erected and valued in 1881-2; and that one cottage in Kingswell Road, Carronreddy, valued in 1883, was also omitted from the return; whether he is aware that Mr. H. H. Townsend, in his evidence before the Select Committee on Agricultural Labourers (Ireland) on 21st November, 1884, stated that he could build a pair of rural labourers' cottages for £150, or at the rate of £75 per cottage; and will he say what action he will now take?
§ Mr. DUKEThe number of cottages built under the loans was correctly given as forty-four. I am informed that there was an error in identification of the houses built under the loans, and that no houses were built in Blind Street, while fifteen were built in Murgasty and one in Corrownreddy. The Commissioner of Public Works and I regret the error. Mr. Townsend had special facilities in supply of stone and gravel for building cottages. His evidence before the Select Committee in 1884 was qualified by a statement that he could not build cottages for the sum mentioned if he had to go a long distance and to draw stone, or if he had to cart 1834 material from a railway at long distance. As to the rest of the question, I would refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for College Green Division on the 29th October.