MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, have the Dublin Port and Docks Board submitted to the Irish Office a private Bill giving them power to levy additional taxation on merchants and consumers using the Port of Dublin, 280 and do the Government intend to support these proposals?
§ MR. J. L. CAREW (Dublin, College Green)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, has the attention of the Government been drawn to the provisions in the proposed Dublin Port and Docks Bill to impose dues not only on imports into but on exports from the city of Dublin; has his attention been called to the recent meetings held by the mercantile community in that city to protest against these provisions; and will the Government, before any expense is incurred on either side, intimate its intention to oppose them?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELANDIn answer to this, and the question of the hon. Member for the College Green Division of Dublin, I beg to say that the Bill referred to has only been submitted to the Irish Office within the last few days. The Bill which is lengthy and complicated, is at present being considered by the Irish Government in conjunction with the Board of Trade. Meetings have, I believe, been held in Ireland for the purpose mentioned in the second paragraph of the latter question. Having regard to what I have stated, the hon. Member for the College Green Division will not, I hope, expect me to give an answer to the third paragraph of the question.