§ MR. T. D. SULLIVAN (Donegal, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether ho is aware that the Magistrates assembled at the recent Donegal Quarter Sessions unanimously signed a Memorial to him, asking that a police station which existed for the past 40 years on the Island of Arranmore, but which has recently been withdrawn, should be reestablished; whether Arranmore is a Petty Sessions district; whether he is aware that there are four public-houses on the island, which contains about 1,200 inhabitants; and whether, in view of those facts, he will take such steps as may be requisite to restore to the people of Arranmore the protection afforded by the police station which has been withdrawn from them?
§ MR. CAINEWould it not be better to close the public-houses rather than reestablish the police station?
§ MR. ASQUITH(who replied) said: The statements in the first three paragraphs are, I understand, according to fact. The Local Police Authorities were agreed in the opinion that the further continued maintenance of a police station on the island was unnecessary, and one of the considerations which largely influenced them in arriving at this opinion 1281 was that there has been no crime of any kind on the island for many years. A police station has been recently formed on the main land at Burton Port, and it is believed that the patrols which will visit the island from this station will suffice to render all the police supervision that will be required.