§ MR. LANE (Cork County, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he can state approximately the cost of carrying out the alterations recommended by Mr. Wolfe Barry on Bally-cotton Pier; and, what has been the cost of the other repairs and alterations executed on this pier by the Board of Works since their engineer certified in 1888 that the pier was "a perfectly sound and stable marine work"? [Tuesday, 19th March.]
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. JACKSON,) Leeds, N.Until a detailed and complete specification of the works recommended by Mr. Barry has been made it will not 138 be possible to frame any estimate for their probable cost. It has not been necessary to expend any money, and no money has been expended on the pier since its transfer to the Grand Jury in 1888. The Board of Works hold that it was, and is, a perfectly sound and stable marine work, having stood the most severe storm without showing the slightest failure or weakness. The only expenditure since the transfer to the Grand Jury has been for the removal of some rubble stones from the bed of the harbour (£11 3s. 5d.), and for labour in connection with the examination during Mr. Wolfe Barry's inquiry (£30 11s. 3d.).
§ MR. LANEI wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is a fact that the Report which was submitted to this House has not yet been issued to Members, and whether there is not ground for the rumour that this Report has been sent back during the course of printing to the Irish Office for revision?
§ MR. JACKSONI am not quite sure whether I am sorry or glad that the hon. Gentleman has put the question, because really it contains an imputation upon the Board of Works and the Treasury, which I think it is extremely desirable to remove. I told the hon. Member, when I laid the Report upon the Table of the House, that it was that day sent to the printers, and it has not, therefore, been sent back to the Board of Works, and the delay in issuing it rests entirely with the printer, and not with the Department.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYMay I ask the hon. Gentleman whether anything is being done to prevent the delays of the printer, of which constant complaints are being made?
§ MR. JACKSONAs one who knows something of the difficulties with which the printer has to contend at this season of the year, I feel it my duty to stand up in his defence, and say it is almost impossible for him to get through the work which falls upon him this fortnight. The House decided that this work should be let by contract to one printer, and the whole of the printing for the Estimates of the Army, the Navy, and the Civil Service, and the whole of the other papers in the course of distribution to Members, has to be done by this one firm, and for about a fortnight it is not too much to say that 139 the men are almost worked beyond their power of endurance. I say this because I believe they have done the very best they can.