HC Deb 26 February 1908 vol 184 cc1773-4
MR. JOHN O'CONNOR (Kildare, N.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether at his request a scheme for the improvement of the River Barrow, as an outfall for the drainage of a large district which periodically suffers from floods, has been gratuitously prepared by Messrs. Glover and White, county surveyors for Kildare and Queen's counties, respectively, and submitted to him; whether it is the essence of the scheme that it can be Tarried out for a much smaller sum than was estimated for the more comprehensive proposals recommended by the All-port and other Commissions, and at the same time be made effectual for the prevention of many of the lesser floods in the affected district; has he considered the said scheme; and does he intend at an early date to put it into operation.

MR. CHERRY

My right hon. friend has received the report which was prepared, at the request of the Barrow Drainage Committee, by Messrs. Glover and White, suggesting certain works for the improvement of the River Barrow. It is somewhat misleading to suggest that the report was prepared at the request of my right hon. friend. In December last a deputation waited upon the Chief Secretary and asked for a Government grant of £50,000 to improve the river. The Chief Secretary, in reply, warned the deputation that he was anxious to avoid raising hopes that might not be fulfilled, but, with a view to the further consideration of the matter, asked to be furnished with a short expert statement showing how the money would be expended. As a result the report in question was submitted to him. The Board of Works have been asked to report upon Messrs. Glover and White's scheme, but the Board's Report has not yet been received.

MR. MOORE

Does the right hon. Gentleman intend that the drainage of the Barrow shall have precedence of the drainage of the Bann?

MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)

Ought not the Scariff district to have priority in this matter?

MR. CHERRY

I will leave it to my right hon. friend the Chief Secretary to settle the delicate question of priority.

MR. JOHN O'CONNOR

Have not hundreds of thousands of pounds been spent on the Bann and nothing on the Barrow in the last few years?

[No Answer was returned.]