§ MR. M. J. FLAVIN (Kerry, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if (1) he has received resolutions from the Listowel Board of Guardians and others asking for a grant to construct a railway connecting Listowel and Tarbert, County Kerry; and (2) whether, owing to the failure of the crops, and the great scarcity of employment in this and the surrounding districts, he will again consider the great necessity there is for the construction of this line?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURResolutions of the nature indicated in the first paragraph have been received. I have nothing to add to my 149 replies to previous Questions on the subject of distress in the South-West of Ireland, except to repeat that the measures which commended themselves to Government for dealing with distress were designed to cope with immediate destitution, and this object could obviously not be attained by the construction of railways or other large engineering undertakings, even if the funds for the purpose were available.