asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether his attention was directed to a statement published in the Irish Press on May 15th in which Mr. P.J. Bartley, Commissioner for Westmeath, is reported to have stated at Westmeath Board of Health that a resolution was passed by the General Council of County Councils to the effect that, if cottage tenants did not purchase their houses and plots within the statutory period, a revision of rents would take place; if he can state whether any such resolution was passed by the General Council of County Councils; whether any statutory period has been fixed for the sale of cottages under the Labourers Acts, and, if so, what that period is, and under what statutory authority it was prescribed; whether it is proposed to prescribe by order or to introduce legislation for the purpose of prescribing a new scale of rents for labourers' cottages, and, if so, whether he will indicate the considerations that have given rise to this decision, the principle on which the new scale of rents will be based and the date on which it is intended they will become effective; and whether, if all parts of the Commissioner's statement are unfounded and unauthorised, he will make an official statement clarifying the position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Labourers' Cottages.
I have seen the published statement referred to. I am informed that no such resolution as that referred to by the Deputy was passed by the County Councils' General Council. A statutory period for the sale of cottages has not been fixed, and it is not, at present, proposed, either by legislation or otherwise, to fix a new scale of rents for labourers' cottages.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary reply to the last portion of the question?
That is the portion asking for "an official statement clarifying the position"?
The portion "And, whether, if all parts of the Commissioner's statement are unfounded and unauthorised, he will make an official statement clarifying the position."
I think that the answer given to the Deputy sufficiently clarifies the position.
If that is so, seeing that the Commissioner in this case is a nominee of the Minister, will he take steps to ensure that no such irresponsible statements are issued by the Commissioner in future?
That is a rather tall order.
It may be, but this is a tall nominee of the Minister's. Obviously, the Minister ought not to permit a situation to arise whereby a nominee of the Minister, not responsible to the local ratepayers, should be permitted to make statements of this kind, which, according to the Parliamentary Secretary's reply, are both unfounded and unauthorised. The Parliamentary Secretary should take steps to see that that position will not arise again.
That seems to have been a speech.
The Commissioner's statement was a speech, too.
Not in the Dáil.
If it were we could challenge it here.