asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the estimated cost per acre of land proposed to be drained under each of the schemes submitted to his Department by the Office of Public Works in connection with drainage on the River Rye in Kildare and Meath.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - River Rye Drainage.
Mr. Walsh
The estimated cost per acre under each scheme is:—Scheme A, £90; Scheme B, £60; Scheme C, £43 15s.
The Office of Public Works have indicated, however, that they consider that Scheme C would be rather inadequate from the point of view of flood relief.
Are the valuations in this case given on the antediluvian basis habitually employed by the Board of Works when they want to avoid doing any work at all? Has the Minister referred to the potential value of these three schemes for the purpose of facilitating work under the land rehabilitation project in that area, which may become flooded if the mouth of the Rye river, where it enters the Liffey, is not cleared of the rock which obstructs it?
Mr. Walsh
I think the Deputy may take it that that has been taken into consideration.
If the Minister is depending on the Board of Works for information he is completely deluded if he imagines that any of the factors to which I have referred are considered by the Board of Works. It is not their practice to do so.