§ Mr. CLANCYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the rents charged per week for the cottages and allotments provided for labourers in the Lucan and Clonsilla divisions of the Celbridge rural district, county Dublin, amount to 1s. 10d. each in addition to the rates, while those charged in other divisions of the same rural district amount only to 1s. 3d.; if so, what is the cause of the difference; and whether the higher rents can be reduced?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Local Government Board have no information as to the particular rents charged in the several electoral divisions of the Celbridge No. 2 rural district, but the draft regulations recently made by the district council under Section 29 of the Labourers Act of 1906 specify that the minimum weekly rent to be charged for. a cottage and acre plot is to be 1s. 9d., and for a, cottage and half-acre plot 1s. With these rents as minima 1283W for the two classes of cottages, the council explain that they consider it only equitable to fix the individual rents in accordance with the local circumstances in different parts of their district, having regard to the fact that in the divisions of Lucan and Clonsilla the wages of labourers vary from 14s. to 17s. a week, whilst in the mountainous areas of the rural district they are only from 9s. to 12s. a week. In these circumstances the Local Government Board see no reason to interfere with the proposed differentiation of the rents of the cottages; but they are in communication with the council with a view to the inclusion in the regulations of a maximum rent, as well as a minimum, for each class of letting.