§ CAPTAIN DONELANOn behalf of the honourable Member for West Wicklow I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he has seen the last Report issued by the Arklow Harbour Commis- 308 sioners, in which it is stated that the bar has been silted up so high that vessels have either to be discharged by lighters in the roadstead or put into Wicklow or Kingstown and have their cargoes sent back by rail; that the risk and the expense entailed upon shipowners have seriously injured the trade of Arklow; that, unless immediate measures are taken to secure deeper water, the new industries recently established must languish, and the £37,000 spent on the new piers will become a total loss; and whether he has communicated with the Irish Board of Works with a view to providing a remedy that would meet the circumstances of the case?
§ MR. HANBURYI have seen the Report referred to, the purport of which is correctly stated in the first paragraph. The responsibility with regard to this harbour does not rest with the Government, but with the local harbour commissioners, of which body only one member is nominated by the Government. I am, however, communicating with the Board of Works with respect to the condition of affairs disclosed in the Report.