§ MR. WEBB (Waterford, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the fact that there are many ancient monuments in Ireland which it is desirable to protect, for which existing Acts of Parliament are insufficient; is he aware that a por- 1071 tion of the Abbey of Kells, County Kilkenny, is being utilised for building walls elsewhere; that the ruins at Kil-mallock, one of the finest in Ireland, urgently need protection; that the great tumulus at Rathmore, County Kildare, is being carted away to repair the neighbouring roads; and that there are numerous other instances in which, if immediate steps be not taken, ancient Irish monuments of great interest will be seriously injured, and possibly destroyed; and whether, in view of the fact that the present machinery, under the Irish Church Act of 1869, and the Ancient Monuments Protection Act of 1882, is defective, there is any intention of legislating with a view to giving wider and efficient protection to the ancient monuments of Ireland?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. JACKSON,) Leeds, N.Perhaps I may be allowed to answer the questions. Representations have been made to the Government as to the condition of some of the ancient monuments—the Abbey of Kells, the ruins at Kilmallock, and the great tumulus at Rathmore— referred to by the hon. Member. The Treasury and the Irish Government have now the subject under consideration. I understand that there is power to take over any additional ancient monuments with the consent of the owners of them.
§ DR. TANNER (Cork Co., Mid)May I ask that, in addition to the particular places to which the attention of the hon. Gentleman has been drawn, some attention will also be paid to the interesting castle and cathedral remains at Athenry?
§ MR. JACKSONCertainly, if it comes within our power.