§ MR. FLAVINTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received a copy of a Resolution, passed unanimously by the Kerry County Council on 16th May, 1907, in favour of a short line of railway from Listowel to Tarbert via Newtowndill on and Bally longford; whether he is aware that Mr. Bryce, late Chief Secretary for Ireland, expressed himself in favour of the project; and whether the Chief Secretary will, at a convenient time during the Autumn Recess, visit the district in order to inquire into the necessity and urgency of this work.
1816 (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I have received a copy of the Resolution referred to. I am not aware that my predecessor ever expressed himself in favour of the projected railway; on the contrary, I find that Mr. Bryce recorded his opinion that the proposed line could never come near paying its way, and that, if public money should become available for railway schemes, there were many other schemes which would have a prior claim. There is obviously no prospect that assistance from public funds can be given to the project at an early date, if at all, and in the circumstances there would be no object in my visiting the district.