§ MR. J. O'KELLY (Roscommon, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that very considerable injury is done annually to the land about Lisacull, county Roscommon, owing to the overflow of a tributary of the Linny river in the district; can he state what amount of money does the Congested Districts Board hold belonging to the county of Roscommon; and whether he would recommend that a portion of it 1594 be lent at a low rate of interest to assist in carrying out the drainage of this district?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralIt is the fact, I believe, that the river referred to in the first paragraph, and its tributaries, overflow at certain seasons of the year and cause floods in the districts. The funds of the Congested Districts Board are not allocated according to districts or counties, but such portions of the county Roscommon as are scheduled congested may receive grants or loans from the Board's funds in common with other congested districts. The Board have been advised that they are not themselves empowered to undertake drainage works, and any application for assistance in the execution of a drainage work from a duly-constituted Drainage Board for the district would have to be considered in connection with other subjects of expenditure of the Congested Districts Board in congested districts, as well as the available resources of the Board.