MR. MICHAELMCCARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, with reference to the fog siren on Mew Island, at the entrance to Belfast Lough, whether he can now state what has been the result of the experiments in which the Commissioners of Irish Lights have been so long engaged, with the view of improving 912 the fog sirens there and elsewhere; and, whether, considering the danger to life and property arising out of the insufficiency of the fog siren at present on Mew Island, and the further expenditure already sanctioned by the Board of Trade for improving same, he will inquire what improvement is likely to be made, and when it will be commenced?
§ MR. BRYCEThe Irish Lights Commissioners have informed me that a preliminary comparative trial between the siren placed on the balcony of the Lighthouse Tower, and the original siren in the siren house down on the ground, has already been made by their engineer, and that they only await one of their steam vessels being available for the purpose to arrange for the carrying out of an exhaustive series of comparative experiments from different directions and ranges. They add that no defect has been so far found in the siren which has been in use since the Mew Island Lighthouse Station was first established. It is with regret that I find that these experiments, sanctioned in March of last year, have been so long delayed.