HC Deb 21 February 1911 vol 21 cc1733-4
Mr. LARDNER

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that the roads in Ireland on which it is proposed by the Road Board to expend the amount of the road grant allocated to Ireland are in the main coast roads or where through the country are tourist routes which run parallel to the railways and are of little advantage to the development of the trade or resources of the inland part of the country; is he aware that some of the counties which adopted main road schemes are to be excluded from the benefits of the grant, while counties that in the past refused to adopt main roads or make any effort to improve the highways are to be liberally dealt with; whether he is aware that the mail coach road from Dublin to Londonderry, half the cost of construction of which was borne by the entire country and which runs through the eastern part of Meath and through the whole length of Monaghan and Tyrone and North County Dublin, has been excluded, though its inclusion would tend to develop transport facilities of a large tract of country at present labouring under disadvantages, while the proposed routes between Dublin and Londonderry, as shown in the Road Board schemes, are close to railways and will confer no advantage to the districts above mentioned; and will he now say if the scheme intimated to the Irish county councils by the Road Board is final or whether an opportunity will be afforded to the councils interested of making representations before the scheme is finally sanctioned?

Mr. HOBHOUSE

The Road Board have intimated that they will afford to the Irish County Councils an opportunity for Conference as to the roads selected for improvement in Ireland before the advances to be made by the Board are finally settled.

Mr. LARDNER

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the Road Board scheme has not been most unfavourably received throughout Ireland? On Friday night the General Purposes Committee of the General Council of Irish County Councils passed unanimously a resolution of protest against the scheme?

Mr. HOBHOUSE

All that will be brought up at the Conference.