§ * THE EARL OF ERNEasked the Postmaster General whether his attention had been called to the strong desire expressed by the inhabitants of the town of Enniskillen and the adjoining counties for an improvement in the day mail service from Dublin; and whether he was now in a position to state whether any provision could be made for the acceleration of the mails between Dundalk and Enniskillen? The noble Earl said a similar question to this was asked on the 4th March by Lord Belmore. Since then the revised time table consequent on the acceleration of 594 mails to the North of Ireland had been issued, and no mention had been made of a train from Dundalk to Enniskillen. The matter was entered into at some length by Lord Belmore, and therefore he himself would not trouble the House with many remarks. But this was a matter which not only affected Enniskillen, but the Counties of Fermanagh Monaghan, and parts of Tyrone, Cavan, Leitrim, and Donegal. This large district had been shut out from the benefit of the acceleration of fourteen or fifteen years ago, and if again left out in the cold, its position would be greatly worsened, as far as passengers were concerned, because they would have to wait at Dundalk for an hour and a half instead of about an hour as formerly.
* THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (The DUKE of NORFOLK)My attention has been called to the strong desire expressed by the inhabitants of Enniskillen and the adjoining district for an improvement in the day mail service from Dublin, and I have instructed the Secretary in Dublin to communicate with the railway company, in the hope that they may see their way to such alterations as would bring about the improvement desired, the case not being one in which the Post Office would be justified in incurring the cost of an additional train. I have not yet been made acquainted with the decision of the Company. I trust those interested in the localities or districts concerned will bring all the pressure they can to bear on the railway company to give what I entirely agree is a necessary boon in that part of Ireland. But unfortunately, while further investigation has shown that we were right, as we inferred from the beginning, the advantages to be gained would not be commensurate with the cost which would be incurred. The Post Office has done what it could, and it is to be hoped those in the localities concerned will endeavour to induce the railway company to grant this concession.