§ MR. MELDONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If his attention has been called to the constantly recurring floods caused by the overflow of its banks by the River Barrow, whereby the sanitary condition of the town of Monasterevan, in the county of Kildare, and other places, is rendered, exceedingly bad, and 50,000 acres of land, mostly in the hands of poor tenants, are left in some years practically useless; and, if the Government will consent to an inquiry by Royal Commission, or otherwise, into the circumstances connected with such floodings, with a view of removing the causes of same? I also beg to ask, in the un- 1936 avoidable absence of the hon. Member for Portarlington (Mr. Fitzpatrick), the Question on the same subject, which stands in his name. It is, If any steps have been taken with regard to the drainage of the River Barrow; if not, whether he will appoint a Select Committee to inquire into that question, as suggested by the deputation which waited on him last year?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, that the question was brought before him last year by a very influential deputation, and he was rather under the impression that the deputation wished him to wait for further information from them before doing anything. The matter, however, had been considered by the Government with a view to appoint a somewhat similar Commission to inquire into the matter as was appointed in the case of the Shannon. The Shannon Commission has not yet concluded its labours, and the Government were inclined to think that it might, before doing so, inquire into this matter also. In such case its constitution would undergo some changes.