§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will state the various headings and the amount under each heading of the Grants from the 2288W Department of Agriculture to which the Meath County Council were entitled for each of the last four years, including the current year, the amount actually paid out under the respective headings for each year, and the amount contributed by the county council for the same periods and under the same headings, respectively, and the total amount of balances now in the hands of the Department to the credit of the county; and whether, in the present crisis, the Department and the county council have power to loan money on good security repayable within a few years for such essential food-producing purposes as the purchase of cows for labourers?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe following table shows for each of the four years to 31st March, 1916, the amount made available by the Department for agricultural schemes administered by the County Meath Committee of Agriculture, the amount actually paid to date by the Department to the Committee, and the amount allocated by the county council towards the cost of the schemes:
In addition to the above sum of £5,776 17s. 9d. paid by the Department to the County Committee, the Department have expended directly a sum of £758 18s. 4d. The total payment which has been made by the Department towards the cost of the Committee's schemes during the period is, therefore, £6,535 16s. 1d. The Department's contribution includes grants from the Endowment Fund, the Development Fund, and the Vote for science and art classes. The balance standing to the credit of the County Committee of Agriculture in the books of the Department is £3,064 10s.2289W
COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SCHEME. Department's Contribution. Financial year. Amount made available. Amount paid to County Committee of Agriculture. County Council's Contributions. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1912.13 2,232 0 0 1,792 18 1 1,242 0 0 1913.14 2,051 19 8 1,467 19 8 1,197 11 1 1914.15 2,246 0 0 793 0 0 1,242 0 0 1915.16 1,923 10 0 1,723 0 0 1,242 0 0 £ 8,453 9 8 5,776 17 9 4,923 11 1
COUNTY AND URBAN JOINT TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION SCHEME. Academic Year (1st August to 31st July). Grants from the Department Amounts actually paid over each year. Contributions from the County Council and the other contributing Local Authorities. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1912–13 … 590 15 2 557 19 7 351 14 5 1913–14 … 600 9 8 467 17 8 354 0 8 1914–15 … 614 11 4 580 9 5 354 12 11 1915–16 … 576 3 5 611 0 1 354 0 0 (approximately) The technical instruction scheme for County Meath is a joint scheme contributed to by the County Council and the Urban District Councils of Kells, Navan, and Trim. The balance now in the hands of the Department to the credit of the scheme, after deducting sums due to the Department by the Committee, is £280 17s. 11d. It is anticipated that this amount will be required to meet the expenditure of the present scheme, the operations under which continue until the 2290W 31st July next. The Department are not aware that county councils have power to make loans of the nature referred to. The Department are not prepared to advance loans for live stock other than for sires required in connection with their breeding schemes.