asked the Minister for Lands and Fisheries whether his Department has received any complaints from Mornington, County Meath, concerning the administration of the unemployment relief grant allocated to that district; whether he intends to accede to the request already made for a public inquiry into the administration of this grant; and, if not, why not?

I have received complaints regarding the persons employed on the relief works at Mornington, and am having these investigated at the moment.

Is the Minister aware that these complaints have been made for a long time past, and that for quite a long while the unemployed in Mornington have been gravely dissatisfied with the administration of this grant? Some time ago a request was sent to the Minister for Lands and Fisheries asking for a public sworn inquiry. Will the Minister be able to inform me whether such an inquiry can be promised now?

I believe those complaints have been going on for a long time, but they did not reach me until about a fortnight ago. An inspector from the Department was sent down on the 12th instant to investigate the affair. As soon as I receive his report I will be in a better position to say whether a public inquiry is necessary or not.