§ MR. MITCHELL HENRYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether lie has been informed by the Poor Law Inspector serving in the West of Ireland that, owing to the deficiency in the means of transport, there is much difficulty in getting supplies to some of the remote districts; and, especially, whether he is aware that a cargo of meal for Ballinabrill district, which left Galway more than four weeks ago, is still detained in Roundstone Bay by stress of weather; and, under these circumstances, whether application has been made to the Admiralty for the services of a gunboat?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, the facts are substantially as indicated by the hon. Gentleman in the first part of his Question, but I understand that the boat referred to was conveying food for the Duchess of Marlborough's Fund and not for the Poor Law authorities. It was delayed by stress of weather, but I am glad to say now that an additional gun- 1195 boat has been lent by the Admiralty for purposes of transport.
§ MR. GRAYSir, might I ask the right hon. Gentleman, Whether he is quite certain that the gunboat was sent exclusively for the Duchess of Marlborough's Fund, and what was the name of the gunboat?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, the name of it was theGoshawk.If the hon. Gentleman gathered from my Answer that it was exclusively sent for the purpose of conveying the stores furnished from the fund of the Duchess of Marlborough, it is not what I intended to convey. I said that the cargo of meal referred to in the Question of the hon. Member for Galway was, I had been informed, supplied from the Duchess of Marlborough's Fund.