§ MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Midland Great Western Railway Company of Ireland have received complaints as to the insufficient number of boats on the Royal Canal; whether any inspection of the condition of the canal has been made for the past twelve years; whether he can state if the defect in the Spencer Dock Gats has yet been repaired; whether the Department of Agriculture, Ireland, have been applied to respecting those complaints; and, if so, whether he can explain why some 494 attempt has not been made to have them remedied.
(Answered by Mr. M'Kenna.) 1. I learn from the Board of Works, Ireland, that they have no information as to the number of boats on the Royal Canal, and are not in a position to state whether any complaints have been received by the Midland Great Western Railway Company. 2. Several inspections of the Royal Canal have been made during the past twelve years. Complete examinations of the whole waterway took place in 1899, 1000, 1902, and 1905, and partial examinations in 1901, 1902, 1905, and 1906 (during the present month). 3. Considerable repairs have been done to the Spencer Dock gates during the past four and a half years. In 1901 complaints arose as to excessive leakage at these gates. The Board's engineer reported on this, and towards the end of 1901 works were carried out by the Midland Great Western Railway Company calculated greatly to lessen the leakage. The gates have received attention since 1901. 4. I have not been able to learn whether the Department of Agriculture, Ireland, have been applied to respecting the complaints referred to. 5. The attention of the Midland Great Western Railway Company has been called, when necessary, to such defects as were disclosed by the examinations of the Board's engineer, and efforts have been made, and continue to be made, to remedy such defects.