asked the Minister for Finance if it is a fact that all the necessary preliminary enquiries and surveys in the case of the Bilboa River have been carried out; that the county council are fully prepared to go ahead with a drainage scheme; that there is great dissatisfaction in the district as a result of the report that the scheme is being held up pending the confirmation of a drainage scheme for the Mulcair and Cappamore district, which it is believed would not to any serious extent be affected by operations on the Bilboa River, and if he is prepared, in view of the delay in connection with the Mulcair and Cappamore scheme, to allow operations on the Bilboa River to be proceeded with without further delay.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Written Answers. - Tipperary Drainage Scheme (the Bilboa River).
The Commissioners of Public Works have had preliminary investigations made with regard to a petition for the constitution of a drainage district for the Bilboa River area. From the report of their engineer it appears that the carrying out of drainage works on the portion of the Bilboa River, which is the subject of the petition, would tend in present circumstances to worsen considerably conditions in the Mulcair and Cappamore area, which lies downstream. A drainage scheme for the latter area has lately been submitted to the occupiers of affected lands and, as a result of the voting on this scheme, a public inquiry in respect of objections to it will shortly be held.
The Commissioners are of opinion that a decision on the Bilboa River proposal must be deferred until the works on the Mulcair and Cappamore scheme, if this scheme is confirmed, have been completed.
The Commissioners have no evidence of the existence of dissatisfaction among the occupiers in the Bilboa River area as a result of the postponement of a decision, which was communicated to the Tipperary (N.R.) County Council on 14th October, 1932.