asked the Minister for Finance if he can state the present position in connection with the scheme for the drainage of the Rivers Erkina, Eglish and Johnstown (Leix), and if he will now state whether it will be possible to have the work carried out during the present year.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - LEIX DRAINAGE SCHEMES.
The Commissioners of Public Works, after consideration of their Engineer's preliminary report on the Erkina River proposed drainage district, decided to obtain a detailed report from a land valuer on the lands concerned, and this valuation is at present being made. The existing Rathdowney drainage district and the Eglish and Johnstown proposed district are being considered in conjunction with the Erkina proposal.
Considerable time must, however, elapse before any actual work can be begun, because even if the result of the valuer's inspection is to show that the scheme is a promising one, it will then be necessary for a more minute engineering inspection and survey to be carried out in order to determine exactly the works to be executed, and to estimate their cost before a scheme can be prepared and submitted to the occupiers of land to vote upon.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary answer the part of the question dealing with the possibility of having the work undertaken in the present year?
Every effort will be made to do that, but, as the Deputy is aware that various stages have to be gone through under the Act, he will see that it is impossible to forecast the date on which the work can be done on any particular scheme.