§ Captain REDMONDasked the Home Secretary if his attention has been called to the All-Ireland meeting of protest, held at the Mansion House, Dublin, against the application of the Ministry of Ways and Communications Bill to Ireland in its original form; and, in view of the complaints made, will the Government set up a separate branch of this Department in Ireland and give full executive powers to this separate Department, giving direct representation upon all Committees and Commissions appointed under the Bill to the various interests affected by it?
§ Mr. SHORTTMy right hon. Friend the Minister-designate of Ways and Communications intends, as stated in his speech on the Second Reading of the Ministry of Ways and Communications Bill [17th March, 1919, Hansard, col. 1778], to set up in Ireland, as part of the Government organisation, a branch of the Irish Ministry to deal with all Irish questions. This branch would, of course, be responsible to, and subject to, the Minister.