To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can furnish a Return showing the amount of compensation for malicious injuries levied off the city of the county of Dublin, and the county of Dublin, during the past financial year; whether, in the majority of cases, the full amount of compensation was covered by insurance; whether the Government contemplate the necessity of amending the Local Government Act, 1898, so as to relieve the ratepayers from this burden; and whether the insurance companies could be compelled to give a contribution in such cases.

During the past financial year the total amount awarded as compensation for malicious injuries was: in the county of the city of Dublin, £48 19s. 7d., and in the county of Dublin, £170 11 s. 5d. There is no precise information as to the number of cases in which the amount of compensation was covered by insurance, but, so far as the information of the police authorities goes, the compensation was not so covered in the majority of cases. I am not at present in a position to promise amending legislation in the matter. In the present state of the law the insurance companies could not be compelled to contribute towards the compensation.