HC Deb 11 May 1910 vol 17 cc809-10W
Mr. SHEEHAN

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the claim of Mortimer Kelleher, Liscreagh, in the Millstreet rural district, for an additional half acre was considered in the last improvement scheme, under the Labourers Acts, for that district; that he sent in his representation form, claiming on the lands of John Hickey, and that the name of Cornelius O'Connor was substituted for that of Hickey; will he explain how this occurred; is he aware that Hickey was district councillor at the time in the Millstreet Union, and had access to the representation forms before they were investigated at the local inquiry; and was the claim of Kelleher rejected as a consequence of the manner in which his representation form was dealt with?

Mr. BIRRELL

I understand that Kelleher's case was included in the council's last improvement scheme, but his representation, which was in the prescribed form, contained no suggestion as to the holding on which the additional allotment might be taken. There was consequently no substitution of occupiers' names in the form. Hickey was a district councillor at the time, and it was open to him as to other councillors to inspect the forms of representation. The council selected the additional allotment on O'Connor's land, and the inspector rejected the case on the ground that no satisfactory explanation was given why the additional half acre was not selected upon the same farm as the original plot.