asked the Minister for Finance whether under present legislation he is enabled to include the following rivers in the list of proposals for intermediate drainage viz., Crannagh Cross, Feorish, Lung, Breedogue, Kileglan and Ballyglass, Knockcroghery; and if so, whether he proposes so to include them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Drainage of Roscommon Rivers.
9.
There is no legal obstacle to the execution of drainage works on the rivers mentioned under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. All of those rivers, however, discharge directly or indirectly into the Shannon and are associated with the Shannon flood problem. I cannot say when it may be possible to deal with them in the arterial drainage programme.
I asked the Minister a specific question: whether he is in a position to state if these rivers can be included in any scheme under this intermediate drainage proposal brought in as a substitute for the Local Authorities (Works) Act? May I get an answer?
I think the answer given fully covers the Deputy's question. There is no legal obstacle to considering them, but at the moment it would be unwise to tell the Deputy they are being considered because they are very much a part of the Shannon flood problem. The Deputy knows perfectly well that anything which will aggravate that problem further will not be undertaken until a decision is taken regarding the Shannon drainage generally.
I want to get the facts clear. Is it not the position that the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act specifically precludes the Board of Works from embarking on piecemeal drainage within an existing catchment area? Is it not true that a number of the rivers referred to are part of the Shannon catchment area and, therefore, the Board of Works, by reason of a section in the Act I have referred to, are precluded from embarking on a drainage scheme until such time as a scheme is envisaged for the Shannon itself?
That is what I have been trying to tell the Deputy in the answer to the question. I would point out to the Deputy that one of the rivers mentioned, which flows into Lough Ree, possibly could be considered under an intermediate drainage scheme.
Which one is that?
The one the Deputy called Knockcroghery.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary think a decision will be reached as to whether the Government propose to embark upon a comprehensive drainage scheme for the Shannon and will it be reached this summer?
That is a separate question.
The Parliamentary Secretary referred to it in his reply.
I shall not attempt to answer that question, other than to say what I have already said, that the survey of the Shannon is proceeding at the moment and that nobody can take a decision until the outcome of that survey is known.
In view of the fact that the Parliamentary Secretary states that one of the rivers—namely, the Ballyglass river, which runs through Knockcroghery into the Shannon — may possibly be included in an intermediate drainage scheme, and also in view of the fact that no other county in Ireland has such serious drainage problems as Roscommon, would he now give it priority and include it in the list already prepared?
I would remind the Deputy that so far no list of the intermediate drainage schemes has been prepared.
Is it not a fact——
Question No. 10. I have called Question No. 10.