asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that the Roscommon Co. Council, at its meeting held on the 17th October, 1928, agreed by resolutions to make contributions out of county funds towards the following four drainage schemes—Corboley and Sandfield, Feorish and Derrynadoey, Cross River and Clogher; that notwithstanding the Council's willingness to make the required contribution no steps have been taken by the Board of Works to start operations under any of the schemes, and whether he can state when work may be expected to commence.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Drainage in Roscommon.
The reply to the first part is in the affirmative. As to the second part the contributions which the Roscommon Co. Council offered to make were not in consonance with the proposals put before them by the Commissioners for Public Works, and after full consideration it has been decided that the Council's alternative proposals cannot be adopted inasmuch as they would involve a departure from the ordinary basis on which the Government have agreed to make free grants for schemes under the Arterial Drainage Act of 1925. No further steps can be taken to proceed with the schemes concerned unless and until the Council reconsider their decision and fall in with the procedure which is accepted by other County Councils.
Would the Minister state, in view of his reply to this question to-day, why no reply was given to inquiries made by me to the Parliamentary Secretary at several interviews and to definite letters asking for similar information addressed to the Secretary of the Department on the 27th November, 1928, 8th February, 1929, 19th February, 1929, 6th April, 1929, and a subsequent letter in the present month.
Will the Minister state what alteration the Council has to make in their offer?
With reference to what Deputy Conlon asked, the position is that this scheme was sent first to the County Council in April, 1927. They did not agree to make any contribution until October, 1928. Then they proposed to offer a fixed sum instead of giving a percentage of the actual cost of carrying out the scheme as was required. The new proposal was the subject of discussion between the Board of Works and the particular section of the Finance Department which was dealing with these matters. That discussion commenced at the busiest period of the year when the Estimates were being considered, and there was delay in coming to a decision. As a matter of fact, it was only finally decided this week that it would be impossible to make any change in the arrangement that had been made in this particular case, and, if the scheme is to be proceeded with, the Roscommon County Council must enter into an undertaking of the same character as that which other County Councils have entered into, and that is to give a definite percentage.
Is the Minister aware that if a fixed sum was mentioned by the County Council, it was because a fixed sum was mentioned by the Board of Works?
No, the Board of Works estimated that the scheme would cost so much. The County Council said that they would give a definite figure. That is not the arrangement made elsewhere. The arrangement is that they undertake to give a percentage of whatever the costs may turn out to be. In the case of drainage works, it is impossible to estimate accurately, as in engineering works of this kind some unforeseen cause very often leads to some excess in carrying out the scheme.