§ MR. O'MARA (Kilkenny, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will consider the advisability of issuing monthly Reports of Irish exports and imports as are issued by the Board of Trade for the United Kingdom, or similar to figures issued by all self-governed British Colonies.
MR. BRYCEThe monthly Returns referred to, which deal with foreign trade, are collected under statutory powers. No such powers exist in regard to the cross-channel trade, and the Department of Agriculture necessarily depends for its statistics in this respect upon information voluntarily supplied. In these circumstances, it is feared that it would be useless to attempt to issue monthly Returns.