§ MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the loss and inconvenience inflicted on the travelling public in Ireland by the conduct of rival Railway Companies in the timing of their trains at the following junctions: Cookstown (County Tyrone), Clones (County Monaghan), Limerick Junction (County Tipperary), and Bally-william (County Wexford); is he aware that the arrangements are such at Cookstown that, although the towns of Moneymore and Stewartstown are only six or seven miles apart, it takes two days for a passenger to go and return by rail between either place (i.e., the return journey cannot be accomplished on the day of departure); that there is a delay of hours at the Limerick Junction caused to passengers from the South going in the Waterford direction, which a few minutes difference in the timing of the trains would obviate; and that there is a similar failure of connections at Clones and Ballywilliam; and have the Board of Trade any power to compel the companies to give reasonable facilities to the public?
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Sir M. HICKS BEACH,) Bristol, W.My attention has not been directed to the circumstances stated in the hon. Member's question. The whole responsibility for the conduct of traffic upon railways rests with the companies. It is possible that in the case mentioned an appeal might be made by the Local Authority to the Railway Commissioners under the Railway and Canal Traffic Acts; but the Board of Trade have no statutory authority in the matter.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the facts stated in the question are correct?
§ * SIR M. HICKS BEACHNo, Sir; but from my own experience of cross country travelling in Ireland I can well believe it.