§ MR. LANE (Cork County, E.)asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention had been called to the following paragraph in the Report made by the County Surveyor to the Cork Grand Jury:—
I have to report that, notwithstanding the Board of Works assuring themselves that all works are sound marine structures before handing them over to the county, the pier lately constructed by them at Knockadoon has suffered severe injury, and 72 feet of the end has been carried away…. In this case the damage is largely due to bad concrete. A sum of about £200 will be required to rebuild this end of the pier; whether the engineer who inspected and reported upon this pier is the same officer who reported that the Ballycotton Pier was a "sound marine structure;and what steps the Government intend to take to secure a trustworthy Report upon such piers?
§ DR. TANNER (Cork, Mid)also asked if it was a fact that the Knockadoon Pier, in the county of Cork, lately built by the Board of Works, Ireland, had, owing to faulty construction, recently suffered severe injury; whether it was true that 72 feet of the end of the pier has been carried away; and what sum was alleged to be now necessary in order to rebuild the pier.
§ *THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. JACKSON,) Leeds, N.said damage to Knockadoon Pier had occurred for a length of about 60 feet. The cement used in the construction was obtained from a respectable firm, and had undergone a better test than that prescribed. The work appeared perfectly sound in every respect when completed and transferred to the country. The failure of the cement since then is being duly investigated with the manufacturers, and is due, as far as can be judged, to some hitherto unexplained chemical action, similar to that in the case of the Aberdeen and other harbours. The board's officer in the matter was the same Gentleman who reported on the Ballycotton Pier. The Board of Works intended under the peculiar circumstances, to propose to carry out, with the assent of the Grand Jury, the repairs out of the Fisheries Piers and Harbour Fund.