§ MR. JASPER TULLYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Local Government Board sanctioned the action of the Mullingar Sanitary Authority in seeking a water supply from an enlarged boghole known as Lough Sheever, the waters of which are polluted by the sewerage from the neighbouring asylum. And (2) seeing that before the works were commenced the public analyst reported that a sample of the water was hardly distinguishable from sewage, and that the works have been abandoned on the report of the clerk of the works, and on account of the protest of the townspeople, whether the Local Government Board will give facilities to the Sanitary Authority to avail themselves of the public offer recently made to provide on favourable terms a water supply from Lough Owell, the best and natural source of supply for Mullingar?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELANDThe proposal to obtain a water supply from Lough Sheever was put forward by the Guardians, and was not sanctioned by the Local Government Board until after a public inquiry was held, of which everybody had full notice, by the Board's Chief Engineering Inspector. The facts are not accurately stated in the second paragraph. Sir Charles Cameron describes the water from Lough Sheever as a peaty water of an objectionable colour, but that it is free from sewage and similar pollution. Professor Tichborne states that the water is moderately hard, and that it would be still further improved, and will make a good potable supply, by passing through a gravel or sand filter. Filter beds were to have been provided under the Scheme. The 893 Local Government Board are not aware that the works have been abandoned. The Board will not only give every facility in their power to enable a good supply of water to be obtained from Mullingar, but they will urge, as they have been doing, the Guardians to take definite steps towards the attainment of this object.