§ MR. P. MCDONALD (Sligo, N.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Fishery Piers and Harbour Commissioners, two years ago, in reply to a memorial from the Innishmurry Island fishermen, promised that their inspector would be directed to visit the island and report upon the necessity of a landing pier; whether such visit and report have yet been made; and, if so, with what result; whether it was a fact that a gunboat, carrying provisions for the relief of the poor starving people, was unable to land anything owing to the want of a suitable pier, and had to lie off shore for several days; if any action has yet been taken towards the erection of the much required landing pier at Knoclane and Easky on the main land; and, whether he would endeavour to proceed with the erection of such necessary works so as to afford employment in relief of the distress now prevailing on the West Coast of Ireland and the adjacent Islands?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne), in reply, said, the Fishery Piers and Harbour Commissioners informed him that they were not aware of having given the promise mentioned with regard to Innishmurry. On the contrary, they stated in August, 1884, that it was impossible to say when an inquiry could be held, and no 800 such inquiry had yet been made. They had no official knowledge of the circumstances referred to in the third paragraph of the Question. The Commissioners were in communication with the parties interested in getting a pier at Knoclane, and the pier at Easky was more than half finished. Measures had been taken to push forward these works on the West Coast of Ireland.