MARINE WORKS (IRELAND). (Hansard, 1 July 1902)

§ (2.25.) THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. WYNDHAM,) Dover

said he desired to ask the leave of the House to introduce a measure, the main object of which was to give further facilities to the fishing population of the congested districts on the west coast of Ireland. It would also assist other industries such as the quarries near the west coast. As to its object, little need be said, for when they were discussing the operations of the Congested Districts Board on the 14th March there was a welcome consensus of opinion in all parts of the House that further facilities should be given to men who had shown such enterprise in the discharge of their 425 hazardous occupation, and so much honesty in the discharge of their obligations. But as the principles of the Bill involved a great many financial questions, it would be more convenient to discuss them when the terms of the Bill were in the hands of hon. Members. In 1883 the charge of maintaining harbours in Ireland was transferred from the Exchequer to the local bodies. On the west coast of Ireland the rating problem had a most forbidding aspect, and one consequence of the change had been that useful works had fallen into disrepair. Another was that it had been impossible to construct out of the rates works which ought to have been constructed. Since 1883 a large portion of the Irish Church surplus—a sum of £250,000—had been devoted to the construction of harbours; but it was hastily allocated in the absence of the experience which had since been gained. The Irish Congested Districts Board had since 1891 administered a small annual grant for these purposes; and, thanks to the devotion of their Fishery Commissioner, and the enterprise of the fishermen on the west coast, their efforts had been crowned with conspicuous and continued success. While spending some money on smaller schemes, the Board had wisely concentrated itself in the main on those spots which combined natural facilities with professional aptitude on the part of the population. He could best tell the House the nature of the success achieved by the Board and still more by the fishermen by reminding hon. Members that last year was a very stormy one on the west coast, and it would be natural to expect less success in the fishery; but in the Isle of Arran, which used to be a byword of poverty, the spring net fishing brought in over £3,000; and in the autumn herring! fishery of Donegal,£35,000 was won from the sea. These, the highest figures yet attained, were reached in an inclement year. In earlier years the Congested Districts Board not only assisted by giving instruction and advancing money, but also bought and cured the catches of fish. But now the work was done on an economic basis. For the last five years there had been independent buyers, and last season there were forty curing stations, and 426 five kippering stations. There were also many local buyers and curers of fish in Mayo, Donegal, and Galway; last year £34,000 was paid in wages among 2,651 fishermen, and £4,000 to 824 persons occupied in subsidiary work on shore. But the Board could not find capital out of income to improve harbours; nor could the capital be found out of rates which were already in many places up to 8s. and 10s. in the pound. There was therefore a claim for further assistance to these fishermen, who had often borrowed £300 or.£400 to purchase larger boats and more expensive gear. This they had done on the advice of a Government Department, and they might justly ask for security against a danger physical and financial which the absence of adequate harbour accommodation might involve. The methods by which the Bill sought to obtain its objects might be divided under two heads—construction and maintenance, In respect of construction the Bill provided, without sinking fund or interest, an absolute free grant of £100,000 for works to be agreed on between the Irish Government and the counties concerned. As to maintenance, the past afforded a sad experience, and the Bill submitted a new plan. What was necessary was the stitch in time to prevent dilapidations from increasing. The Government believed that maintenance could be best effected by constant expert inspection, and could be best defrayed out of what might be called an insurance fund. At the present moment the liability for the maintenance of such works rested upon the counties in Ireland. The duty would still rest on the district interested. The plan in the Bill was that the contribution should be given towards this maintenance and insurance fund by agreement between the counties and the Government. Any toll on merchants using these harbours would go to reduce the county contribution towards the insurance fund. If the tolls covered the whole fund, then no charge would rest on the county. The normal contribution was placed at 1½per cent, on the capital devoted to constructive work, but as soon as the maintenance and insurance fund reached £6,000, the security was, in the opinion of the Government, ample to the contribution, which would be 427 then diminished or discontinued. The Bill provided that a higher amount than 1½ per cent, should be given, but this would be abnormal and would only come into operation if a group of counties thought it wise to embark on some large project which exposed them to more than the usual risks. The Bill was drawn to assist the population of the congested districts, and the free grant appertained to them. But the hon. and gallant Member for West Clare, and the hon. Member for East Clare, had often drawn his attention to Liscannor Harbour. He had visited that harbour, which was in the county of Clare, but just outside the limit of the Act of 1891. Of the cost of putting the harbour, into a proper condition, a sum representing two-thirds would be contributed out of the free grant, but the remaining third would have to be provided by persons interested in the locality—persons for instance who were to a large extent interested in the quarrying industry in that county. As to the financial scheme generally, he would take the case of four typical counties, Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Clare. A 1d. rate levied on the whole of those counties would produce £5,900, more than the l½d. per cent, required on the £100,000 grant; indeed it almost touched the limit of the maintenance and insurance fund. By a ½d. rate the required sum could be provided in two years. It was not proposed, however, to bind the counties to a universal county rate, but if they rated the seaboard rural districts alone, 1d. rate would give more than £1,500, that was to say more than the 1½ per cent. required, and in four years the reserve fund would be created. Still he considered the county rate preferable, for the burden would then fall more lightly on the ratepayers.