asked the Minister for Finance whether he will have the work of draining the Clooney River, County Meath, expedited, and if he will state when the work will commence.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - CLOONEY RIVER (MEATH).
The petition in this case was received only in December last. The programme of the Commissioners of Public Works for inspections of proposals under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925, is full for some time to come and the preliminary inspection of this district cannot, therefore, be made at present. Considerable time must clapse before any actual work can be begun in the district because, even if the result of the preliminary inspection goes to show that the scheme is a promising one, it will then be necessary for a valuer to inspect each holding affected and to estimate the extent of the benefit and also 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 for submission to the occupiers of the lands benefited to vote upon.