§ MR. MEAGHERI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that in the year 1801 a grant of £40,000 was made by the Board of Inland Navigation for the purpose of constructing a canal to develop the coal mines of Castlecomer, and that none of that money was since received; and whether he would see his way to recommend a grant being now given to establish a railway connection with the mines, and thus support this industry.
MR. BRYCEI have no information to the effect mentioned in the first part of the Question; but I find that on August 1st, 1904, the right hon. Member for Dover, in reply to a Question put to him by the hon. Member for Carlow, ‡ stated that the hon. Member had communicated to him a statement from which it appeared that the Directors of Inland Navigation proposed to make a Grant-in-Aid, amounting to £40,000, towards the cost of construction of a canal between Monasterevan and Castlecomer, the payment to be conditional upon the execution of the work; but the money was otherwise expended, and consequently was not available for the purpose referred to. In reply to the remaining part of the Question, I fear that I can add nothing to the Answer which I gave to the hon. Member's similar Question on March 29th,§ except that I am alive to the desirability of doing whatever can be done, having regard to the funds available, for the development of these mines by proper transit facilities.