§ 57. Mr. NEWBOULDasked the Chief Secretary the total amount of compensation awarded for injuries to personal property in the Compensation Courts since 1st January, 1920?
69. Colonel NEWMANasked the Attorney-General for Ireland the total amount, to the nearest convenient date, awarded in compensation by the Irish Courts of Justice to those who have suffered in lives or property at the hands of the Irish Republican party?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThe reply is rather lengthy, and with the permission of the House I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Captain W. BENNCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Cabinet has yet decided the question whether compensation will be paid from Imperial funds where the victims were found to be innocent parties?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThat question is still before the Cabinet.
§ Captain REDMONDAre the Cabinet ever going to come to a decision on the matter?
§ The following is the answer:—
§ If by personal property is meant personal belongings, I regret that I am not in a position to furnish separate statistics, as decrees for destruction of buildings in many cases include also compensation in respect of private property, the two items not being distinguished. The total amount of compensation awarded in respect of the destruction of property in Ireland, including personal belongings, in the last two years reaches a figure of nearly £5,500,000 so far as returns have been received to date. The total amount of compensation awarded in respect of injuries to the person in the same period comes to nearly £1,500,000. The determination of the responsibility for malicious injuries forms no part of the duties assigned to the Courts by which the amount of such damages is assessed. I regret, therefore, that I have no information regarding the proportion of these 2044 damages attributable to the Irish Republican army.
§ The total amounts awarded by Decree notified to the Chief Secretary's Office since 1st June, 1919, are as follow:
| £ | |
| Injury to person: | |
| Northern Ireland | 62,420 |
| Southern Ireland | 1,286,153 |
| Total | 1,348,573 |
| Injury to property: | |
| Northern Ireland | 272,723 |
| Southern Ireland | 5,080,654 |
| Total | 5,353,377 |
§ These amounts are chargeable under the Malicious Injuries Act to the local rating authorities in whose area any particular act of destruction takes place. In some cases the compensation awarded has already been paid by those authorities. In the case of injuries to police, military and other servants of the Crown serving in Ireland a proportion of the awards are advanced from the local taxation account from grants which would normally be payable to the local authorities but which are now intercepted because they refuse to recognize the authority of the Crown.