asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state what action, if any, has been taken in connection with the development of the Lough Allen Canal; whether the Commission, under the chairmanship of the Economic Geologist attached to his Department, which visited the district in April, 1926, has submitted a report; and, if so, whether it will be published.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - LOUGH ALLEN CANAL.
Proposals for the development of the Lough Allen Canal have been under consideration for some time. There is, however, little prospect that the traffic which from present information could be expected to use the canal would be sufficient to remunerate the substantial expenditure that the necessary works would involve, and the matter has accordingly been deferred pending information as to whether a scheme propounded for the development of the Arigna area and relying mainly on railway transport was to be carried out. Radical changes were made last year in the scheme originally outlined, but in neither shape has it reached what could be described as the practical stage, and no new traffic can, therefore, be relied on. The Committee of officials that visited the district in 1926 duly submitted a report which, for the reason that it contains information supplied to the Committee in confidence, I am not in a position to publish. If the Deputy so desires, I will consider whether it is possible to supply him with a summary of the report, giving its main conclusions and the reasons for them.