§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, in view of the fact that the directors of the Waterford, Dungarvan, and Lismore Railway Company from their own resources provided £1,500 towards the renewal in iron of a long wooden viaduct, and from the same source contributed £500 towards the purchase of a locomotive, and also offered to pay half the expenses of equipment of the line with electric staff, which offer the Board of Works declined; and of the fact that the report made by the Board of Works engineer is withheld from the Company, whether the Government will have an independent inquiry made by a competent expert before appointing a receiver, this expert not to be under control of the Board of Works, and whose report shall be available to the public, that the true facts concerning the line may be made known?
The HON. MEMBER also asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will undertake to restrain action on the part of the Board of Works in Ireland in regard to the Waterford, Dungarvan, and Lismore Railway until the Estimates for the Board of Works come before the 857 House, in order that opportunity may be given for Debate, and that the views of the ratepayers, whoso interests are much larger than those of the Treasury, may be ascertained?
§ MR HANBURYI am not aware of the amount contributed or offered by the directors from their private resources. It is the fact that the report made by the Board of Works engineer, which was, of course, confidential, has not been communicated to the Company. The Board of Works is the public body to whom such duties belong, and it ought not in my opinion to hand over a duty of this kind to a third person, particularly as the present Chairman is specially acquainted with railway management. I hope it may be possible to discuss the Board of Works Vote soon after the Easter Recess, and if that should be so, f would postpone any final action until that opportunity for discussion has been afforded. In any case no such action shall be taken until after the Easter Recess.
MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury (1) if he could state in what form and at what dado the Great Southern and Western Railway Company made an offer to purchase the Waterford and Dungarvan Railway, and was the offer made through the Board of Works; (2) were they officially informed that the railway was in such financial embarrassment that it could not pay the interest due to the Treasury; and (3)) have the Great Southern and Western Railway Company any statutory power to make such an offer, or fulfil it if accepted?
§ MR. HANBURYAn offer of £120,000 was recently made to the Board of Works to purchase the interest of the Treasury, £93,000 of capital and arrears of interest. I do not feel justified in stating from whom the offer came without the consent of the persons concerned.
MR. T. M. HEALYasked where the Great Southern and Western Railway Company got the statutory power to make such an offer?
§ MR. HANBURYI don't know that the Great Southern and Western Railway Company come into the matter at all, and I cannot express an opinion.
MR. T. M. HEALYThe right hon. Gentleman said yesterday that such an offer was made by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company, and I 858 ask now where they got the statutory authority to make such an offer?
§ MR. HANBURYI don't think I said that. I said it came from other quarters I don't think I mentioned the name of the Company at all.
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!