MR. F. A. O'KEEFFEI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if his attention has been drawn to the frequent recurrence of the English morning mail arriving late in the city of Limerick, owing to the non-arrival in time at the Limerick Junction of the Great Southern and Western Railway service from Dublin, which company is subsidised by the Government for the carriage of the mails to the south of Ireland; whether he is aware that such delay occurred last Thursday; and, if any steps will be taken to prevent repetition of such delays?
§ MR. HANBURYThe late arrivals of the day mail at Limerick during the past winter have not escaped the notice of the Postmaster General. They arise chiefly from the inability of the Waterford and Limerick Railway Company to keep back the Limerick train at Limerick Junction when the Mail from England is, from storm or other cause, late in arriving. The Post Office has been in correspondence with the Waterford and Limerick Railway Company upon the subject, but, owing to the connections to be maintained and to the fact that a large part of the line is single, there is much difficulty in arranging for a detention of the Limerick Mail train at the Junction on the occasions in question.
MR. O'KEEFFEasked the right hon. Gentleman whether the right hon. Gentleman had received a memorial from the Limerick Chamber of Commerce regarding the subsidising of a special train from Limerick Junction to the city.
§ MR. HANBURYsaid, he did not know whether such a memorial had been received, but if it had it would have been considered.