asked the Minister for Finance whether a survey of the flooded areas in North Galway has been carried out, and, if so, what action he proposes to take in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Flooding in Galway.
I presume the Deputy refers to the areas in the vicinity of Belclare and Caherlistrane which suffered from abnormal flooding in December last. I have had these areas inspected and am advised that they present swallow hole problems, the solution of which by normal arterial drainage works cannot be anticipated with any confidence. In so far as the Belclare flooding was accentuated as a result of the overtopping of the right bank of the Clare river at Pollnamal and Clare-Tuam, this very rare occurrence will be prevented by the work at present in progress on the Corrib-Clare catchment. The remainder of the problems will be considered when a scheme for the Corrib-Shrule and Mask catchment is being prepared.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that a joint committee of the Galway and Mayo County Councils dealing with the Shrule and Black river drainage scheme have had a report from the Mayo County Surveyor stating that, if the Board of Works carry out the removal of a bottleneck at a place called Kinlough south of Shrule Bridge and the making of a drain from the Black river to Fahy's lake near Killamanagh and on to Mossforth, this would relieve the whole flooding and in future prevent any such recurrence as we have had this year?
As I told the Deputy in reply to the question, that portion that he refers to is in the Corrib-Shrule-Mask catchment area and it will be considered when that arterial drainage scheme will be under survey—that I had under survey and that my predecessor, Deputy Beegan, prevented when I went out of office.
I just want to ask the Parliamentary Secretary is he prepared to ask the Board of Works to carry out a temporary work that would not cost I suppose £2,000 that would prevent a future catastrophe such as we had there in the last winter. It is a simple question.
As the Deputy is aware, under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act piecemeal drainage cannot be done; it must be done on a catchment basis.
Hear, hear!
Therefore, under that Act I cannot do any piecemeal drainage but I do hope some day soon to do the job perfectly.
So we need not hope for any drainage.
I guarantee it will not be 17 years.
The Parliamentary Secretary is giving great guarantees. It is all gone up the spout.
Who was responsible for the 1945 Act? There is no "hear, hear," now.
I am just thinking backwards.
Surely the Deputy need not tell us that—that he is going backwards?