§ Mr. DORISasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what arrangement, if any, has been come to with the promoters of the Collooney-Belmullet Railway (known as the All-Red Route) as to the Government grant of£135,000 towards the construction of a line of railway to Belmullet; if such grant is under offer to the promoters of the Collooney-Belmullet Railway, for what length of time will such offer hold good; in the event of their inability to raise the remaining capital required at what date can such offer be cancelled and applied to the purpose for which it was originally intended, namely, the construction of a shorter line of railway to Belmullet, branching off the existing Mulranny and Achill branch of the Midland Great Western Railway system at a point mid- 1027W way between Mulranny and Achill; is he aware that this shorter line to Belmullet from the Achill branch was recommended by the right hon. Member for the Strand Division when acting as Chief Secretary for Ireland, its length being only twenty-two miles, with an estimate of£187,000, whereas the length of the line by the All-Red Route from Collooney to Belmullet would be seventy-five miles, with a cost of considerably over£500,000; and is he aware that this shorter line from the Achill branch is the only one likely to be worked in perpetuity by the Midland Great Western Railway Company, and that this railway company has all along opposed the Collooney-Belmullet line as being impracticable and as one that could never pay its working expenses?
§ Mr. BIRRELLOne of the conditions of the proposed grant of £135,000 for the construction of the Collooney and Belmullet Railway, is that a guarantee should be obtained from an existing railway company of a sound financial position to work the line in perpetuity in the event of the promoters ceasing to work it themselves. If this guarantee be not obtained, the offer of a grant lapses, but no definite time has yet been fixed for the fulfilment of this condition. The offer of a similar grant towards the construction of a railway from Mulranny to Belmullet was definitely refused by the Midland Great Western Railway Company, and I have no reason to suppose that they have altered their minds. I cannot answer for the views of my predecessors.