§ Mr. SHEEHANasked the Chief Secretary whether any action has been recently taken by the Fermoy Rural District Council to compel contractors for labourers' cottages to fulfil the terms of their bonds as to the time within which contracts should be completed; whether he is aware that three years frequently elapse before cottages are built after contract has been taken, when the time allowed by the district council is six months; and will the Local Government Board take any steps to prevent delay of this kind in future, and to insist that present contracts shall be more diligently performed?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLThe building of a large number of cottages in a particular rural district often involves delay, and where such delay seems avoidable the practice of the Local Government Board is to urge the council concerned to impose upon dilatory contractors the penalties provided for in their bonds. The first batch of tenders for the erection of cottages authorised under the Fermoy Rural District Labourers (Unopposed) Order, 1908, was only accepted in February, 1909, so that three years have not yet elapsed in a single case since the contract was entered into. The period specified in the contracts for building cottages in this district is six months as stated, and on 4th February last the council resolved that contractors for the erection of labourers cottages who are not making satisfactory progress with their contracts are to be fined in accordance with the terms and conditions of such contracts.