MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Government have considered the necessity of suggesting to the Great Southern and Western Railway Company the providing of transit facilities to Castlecomer coal mines and to Killaloe slate quarries in the event of the amalgamation scheme passing; and whether the Government would be prepared to give a grant in aid of those extensions.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURThe answer to the first paragraph is in the negative. With respect to the second paragraph, there are no funds at the disposal of the Irish Government for the purpose.