§ MR. J. P. FARRELL (Cavan, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that petitions have been recently presented by a number of the inhabitants of the districts around Belturbet and Ballyconnell, praying for steps to be taken to have the district properly drained; and whether any steps in 155 this direction will be taken before winter sets in?
§ MR. HANBURYThe drainage district is in the hands of trustees appointed under the Act 5 and 6 Vict., cap. 89, whose duty it is to maintain the works and to assess and collect the necessary maintenance rate. In case of default on their part, the Board of Works have power to carry out the necessary works, and to charge the cost upon the district. Complaints having been received as to the condition of the works, the Board's engineer inspected the district, and the Board called upon the trustees to remedy the defects. The matter was considered by the trustees at a meeting on the 12th May last, and they ordered a levy of £400, but as the Board's engineer estimated that it would take a very much larger sum to put the district into a proper condition the Board wrote to that body on the 28th May that if more Strenuous efforts were not made within a reasonable time to put the district into proper repair they would be compelled to carry out the works themselves. No reply having been received to this letter, the Board on the 29th ultimo wrote that unless a satisfactory answer was received within ten days from that date they would exercise the statutory powers as to maintenance.