HC Deb 31 January 1902 vol 102 cc41-2
MR. CULLINAN

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that the repeated failure of the morning mail from Dublin to make connection with the Waterford, Limerick, and Kerry lines at the Limerick Junction has been due to the late arrivals of the mails at Kingstown because of the Irish mail to Holy head being delayed by the mail train from London to the north which immediately precedes it, and because the mail train at Kingsbridge waits for 40 minutes while the train for the branch lines at Limerick Junction only waits 20 minutes; whether he is aware that the mail car to Clogheen and adjoining districts leaves 1½ hours before the mails arrive in Cahir viáa the Thurles and Clonmel route, thus entailing 24 hours delay in the delivery of letters and papers in those districts; and, whether he will take such steps as will secure for the South of Ireland generally a regular morning mail service in the future.

MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN

Although there has been delay in the past in the running of the Irish night mail train from London to Holyhead there have been few cases recently which cannot be accounted for by the severity of the weather or by the pressure of the Christmas traffic. The London and North Western Railway Company are believed to be doing their best to maintain punctuality. It is the case that the Waterford train is detained at Limerick Junction for 20 minutes only in the event of the late running of the mail train from Dublin, although the latter train waits 40 minutes if necessary for the mails, but the Postmaster General would be glad if the Railway Company would arrange for the limit of detention at Limerick Junction to be raised to 40 minutes also. The Company have not, however, been able to see their way to adopt that arrangement. As regards the working of the mail car from Cahir to Clogheen, the Postmaster General had already under his consideration a proposal to detain this car for the mails when sent by way of Clonmel, and he is glad to find that this proposal can be adopted.

MR. FLAVIN (Kerry, N.)

gave notice he would put a further Question on this on Monday.