§ MR. MURPHY (Kerry, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can say when he proposes to give information to the House in reference to the congested district in Kerry in which the moving bog is situated; and whether, having regard to the number of congested districts in Kerry, he will make arrangements to allow the county council to nominate a representative of the county on the Congested Districts Board.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. WYNDHAM,) DoverVarious opinions, all purely conjectural, have been assigned for the bog-slide in the district mentioned, which took place over four years ago. An interesting account of the occurrence will be found in the Sixth Annual Report of the Congested Districts Board. The reply to the second paragraph is in the negative.
§ MR. MURPHYMay I ask what the right hon. Gentleman proposes to do to prevent a recurrence of the bog-slide which did so much injury on the former occasion?
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe Government cannot undertake to legislate against physical disasters. A remedy might be found if a drainage board were established under the Drainage of Act 1863. In that event the initiative would have to be taken by the locality, and if such initiative were taken the Congested Districts Board would then consider whether it could afford assistance by means of a contribution,
§ MR. FLAVINCould not the matter be in some degree remedied by giving Kerry a representative on the Congested Districts Board?
§ [No answer was returned.]