Mr. DUNDAS WHITEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what was the amount paid out of the Irish Agricultural Grant under Section 51 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, in respect of part-payment of the rates on agricultural land in Ireland, during each of the last three years for which statistics are available; and what is the proportion of the rates on agricultural land which are payable out of that Grant?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe amount paid in respect of the Agricultural Grant is a fixed sum of £727,655 annually. This sum is equivalent to half the amount raised in the whole of Ireland by poor rate and county cess off agricultural land in the standard year as defined in Section 48 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898. It is not practicable to say what proportion the Agricultural Grant bears to the amount so raised in any other year.