§ Mr. HUGH BARRIEasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland), whether he has received protests from fishermen and others against the erection of a whaling station at Rusheen, on the coast of Mayo, and against whaling therefrom being permitted; if so, whether some of these objectors were informed by the Department that a public inquiry would probably be held before deciding on any application; whether he is aware that an inquiry was held on 23rd ultimo by two inspectors of the Department, and that these inspectors refused to hear any evidence from objectors on the ground that no formal objection in writing had been lodged with the Department, and intimated that they had already decided to grant the licence; and 1667 whether, in view of the importance of the matter to all interested in Irish fisheries, he will order a public inquiry to be held before sanctioning the station, due intimation of the same being given in Irish newspapers?
§ Mr. T. W. RUSSELLThe facts are substantially as stated in the question. At the inquiry the inspectors of fisheries felt themselves precluded from receiving a verbal objection then made to the granting of a licence for the station, inasmuch as the statutory requirements respecting the lodgment of objections had not been complied with, although attention had previously been drawn to the provisions bearing on the matter. All the circumstances of the case were fully considered, and it was decided to issue a licence for the whaling station. This was done on the 15th inst.