§ 23. Captain SHEEHANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that on the 30th January, 1918, the Local Government Board wrote to John Foley, tenant of a labourer's cottage at Coolacullig, in the Macroon rural district, stating that during the continuance of the War there is no money available out of public funds for the compulsory purchase of additional allotments of land under the 2099 Labourers Acts; whether he can state on whose authority and at what time this decision was come to; whether he is aware that the operations of the Labourers Acts, as disclosed in this letter, have been completely suspended in Ireland; and whether it is the settled policy of the Government, at a time particularly when increased food supplies are essential to the safety of the State, to refuse the benefits of the Labourers Acts to those who are already entitled to them?
§ Mr. SAMUELSThe reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Owing to the Treasury restrictions with respect to borrowing and increasing capital expenditure by local authorities it became necessary to suspend the granting of loans under the Labourers Acts early in 1915, except so far as required to meet the cost of completing the building of cottages then actually in the course of construction or contracted for. It is entirely on the ground stated, and not as part of any settled policy of the Government. that operations under the Labourers Acts have been temporarily suspended.
§ Captain SHEEHANWhy should operations in connection with the acquisition of additional allotments be suspended, seeing that they are required for the purpose of increasing the food supplies of the country?
24. The HON. MEMBERasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the Macroom Rural District Council have had before them since the War began the request of John Foley, tenant of a labourer's cottage at Coolacullig, Coachford, county Cork, for an additional allotment of land for tillage purposes, so that he may supply himself and wife and young family of five children with sufficient home grown food; whether he is aware that the district council possesses ample powers to secure an allotment of land for this purpose; whether they have approached, or will approach, Mr. John Dwyer, the tenant of the land on which Foley's cottage is situate, with a view to getting the requisite land from him; and will the Local Government Board make special representations at once to rural district councils all over Ireland that in all bond fide cases of this kind they should use every possible endeavour to provide rural workers with sufficient additional tillage accommodation to meet all their household requirements?
§ Mr. SAMUELSI cannot add anything to the answer which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member's question in reference to this case on the 28th February.