§ MR. CHARLES DEVLINI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the neglect of their duties shown by the Lough Corrib Drainage Board; whether, seeing that the gentlemen composing the Board do not reside near Lough Corrib, and in view of the need which exists for a thorough cleaning of the mill race at Galway, the Government will take over the duties of the Lough Corrib, Drainage Trustees; and, if not, will the Government hand over this work to the Galway County Council.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY (Mr. VICTOR CAVENDISH, Derbyshire, W.)The transfer of the functions of drainage trustees to a county council is regulated by Section 20 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, and the consent of the trustees is necessary. The Board of Works cannot permanently take over the duties of the trustees, but can only do so temporarily, and to the extent authorised by the Drainage Acts, where the trustees are found by the Board to be in default in maintaining the district. From the information before the Board of Works it is considered that the district, including the mill race, is in a fair state of maintenance.