HC Deb 30 November 1908 vol 197 cc1098-9
MR. REDDY (King's County, Birr)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to an inquiry relative to the necessity of building a new bridge across the Shannon, at Portumna, between the county of Galway and county of Tipperary, or repairing the existing bridge and thus avoiding a considerable amount of expense; whether he is aware that one of the members of the Commission sitting to decide the question is Mr. John Ouseley Moynan, county surveyor, of North Tipperary, who has already drawn up and furnished to the County Council of North Tipperary a Report dated March, 1908, in which he insists on the absolute necessity of building a new bridge as aforesaid; that the majority of the Commission, as at present constituted, are paid officers of County Tipperary and County Galway, being the counties primarily responsible for the cost of a new bridge (if any); and will he say whether such majority will have the power of imposing part of the expense of erecting such new bridge on neighbouring counties such as Clare, Limerick, King's and Queen's, who have no representatives on the Commission.

MR. BIRRELL

A Commission has teen appointed at the request of the County Council of North Tipperary to consider the question of building a new bridge at Portumna, the county surveyor having reported that the existing bridge is in a dangerous condition. The county surveyors of the North and South Ridings of Tipperary and of the East Riding of Galway have been placed on the Commission, the other members being Mr. Doyle, K.C., chairman, and Mr. Griffith, engineer to the Dublin Port and Docks Board. The Statute under which the Commission was appointed limits the number to five. It was, therefore, impossible to include representatives of all the counties mentioned in the Question, and an equitable selection has been made. It is one of the duties of the Commission to recommend the area of charge, but any county dissatisfied with such recommendation can appeal to the Lord-Lieutenant in Council.