§ MR. T. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he would lay on the Table a copy of any resolutions received by the Irish Government on the subject of the distress prevailing in Ireland, and the measures considered necessary by the spread of destitution and the want of employment; also a copy of resolutions received in support of the recommendations of the Irish Land Acts Committee of last Session?
MR. J. MORLEYA number of Resolutions relating to both of the matters referred to in the question have been received by Government from time to time. My hon. Friend is aware that relief works are at the present moment in progress in several districts in the west of Ireland, and that similar works will be undertaken to alleviate impending distress in other localities. As to the Lands Acts Committee of last Session, I am only awaiting the opportunity to introduce my promised Bill on the subject, and under these circumstances, I hardly think any useful purpose would be gained by laying copies of the Resolutions referred to on the Table of the House.
§ MR. R. A. YERBURGH (Chester)asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in connection with his Scheme for the Relief of Distress in the West of 306 Ireland, he would consider the advisability of constructing light railways from Achill to Belmullet and from Bellina to Belmullet.
§ Mr. D. CRILLY (Mayo, N.)asked whether the Chief Secretary was aware that the light railway constructed under the Act of 1890 between Ballina and Killala, a railway which traversed part of the road which would probably be covered by the line from Ballina to Belmullet suggested in the Question, had proved to be of great advantage to the locality both in the way of passenger and general goods traffic, whether he was also aware that the railway referred to had yielded the Midland Great Western Railway Company, who took over the management of the line, a satisfactory return in the way of profit, and whether the Government would bear these facts in mind in considering the desirability of extending the railway system of North Mayo as far as Belmullet.
MR. J. MORLEYI am not able to answer the question of my hon. Friend, but I have no reason whatever to doubt that his statements are substantially correct. In answer to the question on the Paper, the object which the hon. Gentleman appears to have in view—namely, the relief of impending distress, could not, for obvious reasons, be attained by the construction of light railways, even if funds were available for the purpose. The form which most readily commended itself to Government for dealing with the approaching distress in portions of the West of Ireland is the opening of small works which will mainly consist of the completion, repairing, and fencing of public roads, and works of this kind can be set in motion without the delay that must necessarily attend the organisation of more ambitious engineering undertakings such as light railways. With regard, however, to the districts referred to in the question, I may observe that relief works are about to be opened in the Island of Achill, and that works of a similar character will be laid out in the poorest parts of the Unions of Ballina and Killala in the early part of March, to be followed by other works which will serve the distressed population of the Belmullet Union.
§ MR. YERBURGHsubsequently asked whether the Chief Secretary for Ireland would, with a view to benefiting the 307 people in the West of Ireland, instruct the local authorities of the district to prepare some scheme that would meet the recurrence of distress in future years.
MR. J. MORLEYsaid that the hon. Member was asking him to commit himself to a very large and considerable scheme of policy which he was unprepared to do. It was sufficient to meet the present distress as promptly as was possible.