§ 17. Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary of Ireland if he will cause to be prepared a Return giving the names of justices on the commission of the peace for the county Mayo, showing the resident and ex-officio magistrates separately; the year of their appointment; whether they have a residence within the county; the Petty Sessional districts to which they are attached; the number of possible and actual attendances of each during the last five years; and their religious denomination?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Returns which have been presented to Parliament from time to time give the names of the magistrates in each county with the date of appointment and particulars of the designation, profession or occupation of each magistrate, as well as the numbers of each religious denomination. The further information asked for by the hon. Member is not available, and it would serve no useful purpose to institute the extensive inquiries necessary to obtain it.
§ Mr. VINCENT KENNEDYasked the Chief Secretary whether of the 6,074 justices of the peace in Ireland only 2,396 are Catholics; is he aware that the Catholics are nearly 74 per cent, of the population in that country; that non-Catholics hold 3,656 commissions of the peace, or over 60 per cent, of the whole; and will he, in view of the dissatisfaction existing in this matter, consider the advisability of setting up the system at present working in England, or some other suitable means to satisfy public opinion?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Lord Chancellor informs me that the figures given in the question are substantially correct. With1002W regard to the last paragraph of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on the 1st May, 1911.