§ SIR WALTER NUGENT (Westmeath, S.)To ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that the small farmers living on the Shannon banks, near Athlone, are suffering great inconvenience and loss owing to the long-continued floods, which are caused or greatly aggravated by the sluice gates at Meelick being neglected or not properly worked; and if he will give instructions to have the said gates more carefully attended to in future.
(Answered by Mr. Hobhouse.) The Board of Works inform me that the flooding of the lands between Athlone and Meelick is not due to any neglect or the mismanagement of the sluices at the latter place but to the natural flatness of the country and the consequent small fall in the river between these places, which only amounts to about 9 inches in the total distance of 27 miles. The contraction of the river bed at Shannon Bridge further obstructs the escape of flood water. The cost of removing shoals and widening channels would cost a very large sum, and would not ensure an entire discontinuance of floods.