asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that there has been very serious flooding in the neighbourhood of Kilcock, County Kildare, from the River Rye, during the past fortnight; and whether, if he is not prepared to undertake the full drainage scheme for that river, he will, in view of the serious unemployment there, make available immediately a smaller amount to clear the regions of the river, particularly below the town.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Kildare Flooding.
According to the latest available returns the unemployment position in Kilcock is not such as to warrant an employment schemes grant. The scheme suggested by the Deputy would not, in any event, be suitable as an employment scheme as, apart from the general objection to the inclusion of drainage works in winter employment schemes programmes, I am advised that the nature and cost of even the minimum work necessary to provide a worthwhile improvement in the area referred to place it outside the scope of such schemes.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that 70 people were queued up at the end of last week at the exchange in Maynooth, and that there are 70 people queuing up to register? Surely that brings this within the scope of the arrangements for a grant.
If there are anything like 70 people, they must be spread over a very wide area.
Is the ParliamentarySecretary further aware that a fortnight ago, as a result of the rain that we had, there was flooding to the extent of two feet in the town of Kilcock, and that an engineer has stated that quite a small scheme to remove certain sharps would mean that flooding in the town of Kilcock would be averted?
Will the Parliamentary Secretary cause an officer of his Department to visit the area and witness for himself the obvious flooding that is caused by the choking of the River Rye? Having regard to the fact that there is a considerable number of unemployed persons in the area, including a number who are there by reason of the recent dismissals by Bord na Móna, will the Parliamentary Secretary consider making a grant available in order to enable the most urgent portion of the work to be undertaken and thus avoid this flooding?
With regard to the statements made by Deputy Sweetman and Deputy Norton, I do not know whether it is that my powers of observation are so limited that I have not been able to discern a lot of water there. I pass through Kilcock twice weekly. I passed through it recently after heavy rain, and I did not see any abnormal flooding. I only saw some loughs of water. I saw cattle grazing on the higher portion of the land which was much more considerable than that which was under water.
Did the Parliamentary Secretary go into any of the houses in Kilcock which had floods in them?
I passed through the streets of Kilcock.
And you say there were no floods in Kilcock? That is one of the many daft statements that are made by this Government.
The roads for one and a half miles around there were flooded with more than two feet of water.
Might I suggest to the Parliamentary Secretary that on the next occasion on which he goes through Kilcock, he ought to clean the windows of his car?
There is no need for me either to clean the windows of the car or to clean my glasses either.
People will be most amused to hear that.
They will have Christmas entertainment if it is as easy as the Deputy suggests to entertain them.