§ MR. EDWARD BARRYTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will ask the Department of Agriculture to send an inspector to visit the slate quarries at Benduff, Roscarbery, county Cork, to report on the quality of the slate and the possibility of further development, giving special attention to the disadvantage under which the quarries at present suffer, owing to the fact that they are over ten miles from the nearest railway station; whether, seeing that those quarries at one time gave employment to over 200 men, and would do so again with proper railway and other facilities, steps will be taken to have an investigation of the needs and possibilities of the district.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The Benduff slate quarry was inspected in May, 1904, by the Department's economic geologist, in compliance with an application made to them by the managing director of the quarry. The report of the inspection was communicated to the managing director for his information.