HC Deb 23 January 1902 vol 101 cc693-4
MR. CULLINAN (Tipperary, S.)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General whether his attention has been called to the continued missing of the morning mails at the Limerick Junction, thereby causing inconvenience to the people of Tipperary, Bansha, Cahir, Clogheen, Ardfinan, as well as other places; whether he is aware that the several public bodies in those districts have passed resolutions condemning this system; and whether he will take steps to remedy the grievance complained of.

MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN

The Postmaster-General regrets that at the end of last year the day mail train from Dublin reached Limerick Junction, on a number of occasions, too late to connect with the mail train thence to Waterford. On some of these occasions the delay was due to stormy weather, and on others to the Christmas traffic. It appears, however, that the train from Dublin has frequently lost time on the journey, and urgent representations have accordingly been addressed to the Great Southern and Western Railway Company on the subject. An improvement in the working has since been effected. When the Dublin train is running late, the mails for Cahir are put out at Thurles and sent via Clonmel, arriving at Cahir about an hour and a half late. When the mails for Tipperary miss the Waterford train at Limerick Junction, they are sent on by a special car, and thus suffer little delay. The other places referred to (which receive comparatively little correspondence) are served through either Tipperary or Cahir. These special arrangements have been made with the view of reducing, as far as possible, the inconvenience caused by the late running of the mail train.

MR. CULLINAN

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the Great Southern and Western Railway allows the mail trains to wait forty minutes at Kingstown, but only twenty minutes at Limerick Junction?

MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN

I must ask for notice.

MR. FLYNN

Is not this difficulty one of the effects of amalgamation, and are not the delays more frequent now than before the combine?

* MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!