§ Mr. SHEEHANasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that representations for cottages and allotments have been received by the Macroom District Council, and sanctioned by the Local Government Board, on behalf of Patrick Cronin, Jeremiah Cronin, and Patrick Buckley, of Carrigagulla, Ballinagree; whether he is aware that the acre allotments have been actually fenced for the past two years in each of these cases; can he, therefore, explain the delay in providing these parties with the cottages which have been passed for them; have any contracts been entered into for their erection; and, seeing that these men live at present in insanitary abodes, will the necessary steps be taken to have their cottages built forthwith?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe statement in the first paragraph of the question is correct. The Local Government Board understand from the clerk of the council that the acre allotments have been fenced for the past fifteen months, not two years as stated. The reason the cottages have not been built is that the council have failed up to the present to get contractors for the building of them.