§ MR. J. ROCHE (Galway, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if his attention has been called to a meeting held in Portumna on the 7th instant, with the Rector of Portumna and Woodford, the Rev. E. E. Rush, A.B., T.C.D., in the chair, when a letter was read by the Reverend Chairman from the Most Rev. Patrick Duggan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Clonfert, and resolutions passed unanimously in favour of a projected railway from Loughrea to Portumna and Birr, with a branch to Ennis viâ Woodford and Scarriff; whether he is aware that similar resolutions have been passed by the Grand Jury of the county Galway at the present Assizes; whether he will procure full details of population in the district through which the projected line and branch will run, as compared with the district through which the Galway and Clyden Railway has been made; whether the Government is prepared to favourably consider a project cordially supported by all creeds and classes in the locality; and when will he be in a position to state what the Government will do towards the construction of the aforesaid line with branch?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELANDAttention has been drawn to the subject matter of this Question. At present the hon. Member can only be assured that the merits of the suggested lines of railway will be considered in connection with those of other similar proposals.