asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that the Commissioners of Public Works have addressed a communication to me under date 9th April, 1926. intimating, in connection with the drainage of the Awbeg River, County Cork, that even if the scheme is approved by all parties interested, it may be taken as probable that no actual work can be started in the district during the current year; whether he is aware that the Cork County Council have long since approved and only await the approval of the Commissioners of Public Works to fix the area of charge and get the work started; that the owners of the lands in the area have approved the work, and that there is considerable dissatisfaction felt by all sections of the community in this large area, because it is stated that the Commissioners of Public Works are not expediting the preliminary work of measurements, maps, values, and reports, etc.; that there is considerable unemployment in this area, and whether he will now instruct the Commissioners of Public Works to expedite the work and get it started during the dry season.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - RIVER AWBEG DRAINAGE.
As the Deputy has already been informed, the Commissioners of Public Works have received the preliminary report of their engineer on this proposed drainage scheme. The next step is to obtain a report from a land valuer as to the value of the lands proposed to be improved and the estimated increase in such value that may be expected should the scheme be proceeded with. A valuer will accordingly be sent to the district to inspect the lands as soon as (a) the state of the river permits, and (b) a valuer is available. If it should appear from his report that the benefit to the lands is likely to be such as to make drainage works remunerative, the Commissioners will then have to prepare a scheme in detail by means of engineering surveys, and this scheme will have to be published in the district so that any persons having objections to it may be given an opportunity of stating them. All these steps, which are necessary under the Act, must take a considerable time, and it is therefore very unlikely that it will be possible in any circumstances to start work in the district this year.
It should be remembered that the Commissioners of Public Works have received over 350 petitions for drainage works, under the Act of 1925, which must be dealt with as far as possible in rotation, giving each county due consideration.