§ MR. M'FADDEN (Donegal, E.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that the gates at the Letterkenny level crossing on the new Burtonport and Letterkenny Extension Railway were closed on the 23rd June last from 8 a.m. to 8.25 a.m., and that in consequence carts were kept standing at the crossing and delayed at that time; and that similar delays are of almost daily occurrence at this and also at the level crossing at Oldtown, on the same line, because of an insufficient staff being provided at both these places; and whether, in view of the inconvenience to the public by the gates being kept closed for a long time at these places three times a day, the Board of Works in Ireland will direct the Lough Swilly Railway Company to tell off a man to open and close those gates.
(Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The company state that the delay at Letterkenny referred to is exaggerated, that no complaint was made, and that if complaint had been made operations would have been suspended to allow the passage of vehicles. A man is specially told off to attend to the crossing at train times. The delays at Oldtown never exceeded five minutes, and were not caused by insufficiency of staff.