§ MR. CLANCY (Dublin County, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the action of the Board of Works, Dublin, in reference to Rush Harbour, county of Dublin, and to its threat of legal proceedings against the Dublin County Council to compel it to put the harbour mentioned in repair; whether he will call upon the Board to give the names of the fishermen who are alleged by the Board to have complained of the condition of the harbour, and to state when the alleged complaints were made; whether the Board has declined to receive a deputation from the county council, which desired to lay before it a statement of its views; and, if so, whether the Government has sanctioned this disregard of local opinion.
§ MR. VICTOR CAVENDISHThe hon. Member is under a misapprehension as to the position of the Board of Works in this matter. The Board are advised by their engineer that the harbour works at Rush are in need of repair, and they are reporting the fact to the Lord-Lieutenant in order that His Excellency may determine whether to advise the Treasury to put in force the 11th Section of the Act 16 and 17 Vict. cap. 136, under 1059 which, in default of the necessary action of the county council, the repairs may be effected by Government and recovered from the local authorities. The Board are unaware of the names of the fishermen referred to in the Question. They see no advantage in receiving a deputation, as their function is merely to report to the Lord-Lieutenant that the harbour works require repair.
§ MR. CLANCYIt having been stated at a public function that the local fishermen had complained surely they must know who they are?
§ MR. VICTOR CAVENDISHreplied that the engineer was away on his holidays, but he would ascertain the facts as soon as he returned.