asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware of the failure of minor relief drainage schemes in County Meath to bring relief to those affected by flooding; and if he is aware of the heavy charges on ratepayers in the vicinity of those abortive schemes; and if, in view of this, he will suspend the collection of those drainage rates until a special inquiry is held, at which the many ratepayers concerned could give evidence; further, if he is aware that the cause of all this drainage trouble is the filling up of the beds of the Rivers Boyne and Blackwater with mudbanks and islands and refuse of all kinds; and if he will state if there is any likelihood of those rivers being drained and cleaned in the near future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meath Minor Relief Schemes.
The drainage schemes referred to in the first part of the question were carried out by the Meath County Council under the provisions of the Arterial Drainage (Minor Schemes) Act, 1928.
As the assessment and collection of the drainage rates for the schemes referred to are matters entirely for the county council I have no power to intervene in the manner suggested by the Deputy.
The section of the River Boyne from Navan to Newhaggard was the subject of a petition for a drainage scheme under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925. Investigation showed that it was a hopelessly uneconomic proposition as even if the full cost of the scheme were provided by means of free grants, the estimated annual value of the benefit which would be derived would not be sufficient to meet the annual cost of maintenance. Accordingly it was decided to allow the proposal to drop.
As a result of the public inquiry into the objections to the Blackwater proposed drainage scheme, certain difficulties came to light. Until the investigation of these are complete it will not be possible to state when the drainage works will be started.