§ Mr. O'DOWDasked whether the ratepayers of the Lough Gara and Mantua districts, situate in the parish of Killaraght, county Sligo, union of Boyle, have petitioned the Congested Districts Board, praying to have the Boyle river sunk so as to relieve them from the floods which are continually destroying their crops; and, if so, whether, seeing that such floods are caused by the Board's operations in a neighbouring county which cause an inundation of the districts by an overflow from Mayo and Roscommon, steps will be taken by the Board to have this overflow stopped by some means, and thus afford protection to these people?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThe petition referred to was received by the Congested Districts Board. The hon. Member is under a misapprehension as regards the floods being caused by the operations of the Board. In this area the duly constituted Lough Gara Drainage Board is in 854 existence, and the Congested Districts Board, recognising that flooding occurs in the district, offered a large contribution to the Drainage Board towards the execution of approved works for preventing flooding in future, which offer was not accepted by the Board.