§ 7. Mr. FITZPATRICKasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the Great Southern and Western Railway Company have served the Abbeyleix District Council with notice to claim £3,000 damages for injury done to the company's line of rails between Abbeyleix and Maryborough, Queen's County, on the morning of the 24th April, by which one locomotive engine and one bogie brake carriage were injured; and whether, in view of the fact that the ratepayers of the district, who had no part in this act, would be unable to pay this amount of compensation, he will consider the question of providing compensation out of public funds to meet this claim?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI understand that the Great Southern and Western Railway Company have served the Abbeyleix Rural District Council with a claim for malicious injuries for damage done to the company's line near Abbeyleix during the rebellion. The County Court judge will have power to assess the damage on any area he thinks fit, but assuming that it is levied 2295 over Abbeyleix rural district, it would come to about 9d. in the £. The rates in the district are only about 4s. in the £, and I am unable to hold out any hope that compensation can be provided in this case from public funds.