§ MR. L. P. HAYDEN (Roscommon, S.)On behalf of the hon. Member for the St. Patrick Division 372 of Dublin (Mr. W. Field), I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that the Irish Board of Lights is at present mainly constituted of members who have been co-opted, save and except the four representatives of the Dublin Corporation; (2) whether complaints have been recently received from Belfast, Queenstown, and Galway; (3) whether the Irish Lights Board is responsible to any authority; (4) and whether the Government will bring in a Bill this Session to reconstitute this Board?
§ MR. J. BRYCEThe case is as stated in the first paragraph of the hon. Member's question. Belfast, Cork, and other ports are desirous of having representatives on the Board of Irish Lights and have made representations to this effect, which are now under consideration. The Commissioners of Irish Lights are subject to the financial control of the Board of Trade, and cannot erect, place or alter lighthouses, buoys, or beacons, without the approval of the Trinity House, and the sanction as regards finance of the Board of Trade. The duty of initiating proposals rests with them. The constitution of the three Lighthouse Authorities in the United Kingdom has been brought before the Committee now sitting on the Mercantile Marine Fund, and I do not think I ought to come to a conclusion in the matter until I have seen their report. There seems little prospect that any legislation on the subject can be proposed this Session.