HC Deb 19 February 1895 vol 30 cc1112-3
MR. J. G. SWIFT MAcNEILL (Donegal, S.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) whether he is aware that, in response to a memorial sent to the Fishery Board by the fishermen of Inver, County Donegal, setting forth the benefit that would accrue to the locality by the erection of a pier and the deepening of the river mouth at the landing-place at Inver, the Inspectors of Fisheries held a Court of Inquiry at Inver in 1884 to investigate the merits of this application; (2) whether he is aware that, later in the same year, an eminent engineer from Edinburgh visited Inver at the request of the Government, and that an announcement was made in the Press in the Autumn of 1885 that the recommendations of the Inspectors of Fisheries and the Government Engineer were favourable, and that Inver had been placed on the list of localities which were specially recommended for piers to be constructed by the Government; and (3) whether, having regard to the distress prevalent in Inver from the failure of the potato crop, the Government will be able, with a view to the giving employment on works of public utility, to make arrangements for the construction of the pier which was recommended ten years ago.

MR. J. MORLEY

The memorial referred to was forwarded to the Fishery Piers and Harbour Commission appointed under the Act 46 and 47 Vict., cap. 26, and was duly inquired into. That body had a certain sum of money only at its disposal, and in making out a list of works in order of importance, to which the money should be allotted, the case of Inver was excluded. With regard to the last paragraph I am informed by the Local Government Board, that it is not anticipated that it will become necessary to supplement the machinery of the ordinary Poor Law by the opening of Relief Works at Inver; but I may point out to my hon. and learned friend that the Congested Districts Board have undertaken the construction of a Pier at Port, a couple of miles from Inver, and that this work is now in the hands of the Contractor.