HC Deb 25 April 1898 vol 56 cc951-3
MR. MCCARTAN

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the number of persons who constitute the Commissioners of Irish Lights, and also the names of the Commissioners who respectively represent the ports of Dublin and Belfast; if the port of Belfast has no representative among the Commissioners, will he state why such an important port is not represented thereon, and what steps will be taken to have this matter remedied; whether he will state the amount of money contributed during the last two years from the ports of Dublin and Belfast respectively towards the Marine Fund; and whether, notwithstanding the large number of shipwrecks caused by the absence of a lighthouse at Blackhead, county Antrim, no steps have been taken by the Irish Lights Commissioners for the purpose of saving life and property on that coast. And may I further ask if it is not the fact that since I last put a Question on this subject the Irish Lights Commissioners have been taking satisfactory steps?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. C. T. RITCHIE,) Croydon

I do not remember when the hon. Member put his Question last in the House, but he will see that my answer refers to the action of the Commissioners. I have to say in reply to the Question on the Paper that the Board of Commissioners of Irish Lights consists of 22 members. The Lord Mayor and High Sheriff of Dublin are ex-officio members, and three Aldermen are appointed by the Corporation of Dublin. The remaining 17 members are elected from time to time by the Board. The Commissioners are the successors of the "Corporation for preserving and improving the Port of Dublin," and the Act under which they were reconstituted in 1867 under their present name made no provision for the representation of any port. The Board could only be made representative by legislation, which I am not prepared to propose at the present time. It is impossible to say that any money has been contributed to the Mercantile Marine Fund from any particular port, but the amount of money collected for the purposes of the fund during the last two years has been £7,209 in the port of Dublin, and £12,804 in the port of Belfast. In reply to the concluding paragraph of the hon. Member's Question, I am not aware that a large number of shipwrecks have been caused by the absence of a lighthouse at Blackhead. The Commissioners of Irish Lights have not made any proposal for the erection of a lighthouse at that place, but I understand that the matter is now being reconsidered by them.

CAPTAIN DONELAN

Is the city of Cork represented on this body?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE

I do not know. I have informed the hon. Member that the composition of the Commission is controlled by Act of Parliament.