§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the grant offered to Mrs. M'Carthy, Ventry estate, Dingle, is inadequate to even attempt the necessary repairs to her house; if ho will ask the Congested Districts Board, who are now in charge of the estate, what is the smallest sum which would be necessary; whether special power was given in the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, in cases such as this, to the Congested Districts Board to discharge the duty otherwise performed by the Estates Commissioners; and do the Board now refuse to discharge this public duty imposed on them by Parliament?
§ Mr. SAMUELSThe Congested Districts Board inform me that Mrs. M'Carthy was reinstated in her holding on the Ventry estate under the Evicted Tenants Act. In accordance with the terms of that Act the Estates Commissioners, after such investigation as they thought proper, decided the amount of the Grant they would give towards the improvement of the house. The Con-1864W gested Districts Board have never given a supplementary Grant for any purpose to an evicted tenant whose case was dealt with by the Estates Commissioners under the Evicted Tenants Act, and there would be great objection to their doing so. The Estates Commissioners were of opinion it was unnecessary for Mrs. M'Carthy to build a new house, and they allowed the sum of £40 towards the improvement of the existing dwelling. The Board do not consider that this is a proper case for the exercise of the powers contained in Section 18 of the Evicted Tenants Act.