§ 60. Mr. JOYCEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the fact that it is intended to put steam cranes on the quays and docks at Limerick; if the dock and quay labourers of Limerick have given a large proportion of their members for military service and that work for the remainder is scarce and only casual, and that the imports of coal into Limerick by ship have greatly diminished since the War commenced, also that necessary work of a beneficial kind has been prevented by the Board of Trade from being carried out owing to the War; and whether, taking all the circumstances of the case into account, the Board of Trade will refuse their sanction to any attempt that may be made to put those cranes down, at least during the continuance of the War?
Mr. ROBERTSI am informed that the Limerick Harbour Commissioners have given permission to the Limerick Elevating Company to erect electric cranes on the Mount Kennett Quay with the object of checking the falling off of coal imports to the port, which is thought to be principally due to the delays and expense incurred by shipping owing to insufficiency of labour and mechanical facilities there. No authority from the Board 217 of Trade is required for the erection of the cranes, and I do not see that the discretion of the Harbour Commissioners in the matter can be interfered with. I am not aware that the. Board of Trade have prevented any necessary work of an urgent character from being carried out at Limerick owing to the War.
§ Mr. JOYCEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the material for a swing bridge has been on the ground for the last two and a half years, but that the Board of Trade prevented the Limerick Harbour Board from erecting that necessary bridge?