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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Friday, 9 Mar 1923

Vol. 2 No. 40

DAIL IN COMMITTEE. - RAILWAYS.

I beg to move: "that the supplementary estimate of £24,378 required in the year ending 31st March, 1923, for payments under the Tramways and Public Companies (Ireland) Act, 1883, etc., and for other purposes connected with Irish Railways be adopted."

The original item for the Railways was £31,860 and it will be observed that there was an anticipated saving under sub-heads A and B in the original estimate. This estimate now is in respect of £24,378, and it is in respect of the annuities payable to extinguish capital advanced under various Acts for the construction of railways and the provision of other means of communication, including the construction, repair and improvement of Marine Works, in the poorer districts of Ireland.

From this expenditure the Buncrana and Carndonagh Railway, and Letterkenny and Burtonport Railway were constructed, and the Sligo and Belmullet Steamer service established. Marine Works have been carried out at several places in Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Clare and Cork, and in almost every important place except Dublin.

Under the heading of "Railways," I would like to point out to the Minister that the service on the Cork, Blackrock and Passage railway has been held up for the last six months. The railway runs through a very large and important district, and for that very long period the people have been without a service. I believe the Irregulars burst up a viaduct on the system, and burned practically every signal cabin from Cork to Crosshaven. It is a matter of great surprise to the people that the Army did not try to prevent some of that destruction, but possibly the Army will be able to give a satisfactory explanation on the matter. The damage and the destruction on the railway have been considerable, and all that large countryside is now practically without any railway service at all. I think the Ministry for Industry and Commerce ought to get in touch with the Company, and find out exactly what they intend doing in regard to opening up service on the system in the near future.

This is a Supplementary Estimate dealing with the payment of certain annuities, and I fear the Deputy is not in order.

Is it not with the railways you are dealing?

No; we are dealing with this particular Estimate. I would like Deputies to be clear that Supplementary Estimates do not re-open the general question of the Estimates which were passed here some time ago.

The railways I mentioned were the Buncrana and Carndonagh, and Letterkenny and Burtonport. I did not mention the Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway at all.

Am I to understand that the discussion is to be confined to these particular items?

Yes, to the expenditure contemplated under these headings.

The motion is that the Supplementary Estimates and the amount required in the year ending March, 1923, for payments under the Tramways and Public Companies Act, and for other purposes connected with the Irish railways be adopted. Is it not in order to raise any question for purposes connected with the railways on that motion in which the Government is involved?

No; it is only in order to raise a question on particular purposes contemplated under the sub-heads under which these Supplementary Estimates are asked. Otherwise the Deputy can understand there could be extraordinary range of discussion on very small Supplementary Estimates.

I am sure the Deputy himself appreciates the point that if the purpose of the Supplementary Estimates were not set out under the various sub-heads, there would be a very wide scope for discussion.

The sub-heads only give us the figures. They do not say what railway is referred to. We have to fish and find that out for ourselves, whether it is in Burtonport or Ballyhooly.

Motion put and agreed to.
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