asked the Minister for Finance what is the present position in regard to the preparation of schemes for the drainage of the Suck, Breedogue, Boyle and Shannon rivers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Drainage of County Roscommon Rivers.
18.
The drainage of the Suck, which discharges into the critical portion of the Shannon, is bound up with the improvement of the main River Shannon. A decision in regard to it must await the detailed engineering investigation referred to in the report on the Shannon flood problem published in September, 1961. The Government have decided that these surveys are to be undertaken when the necessary staff can be made available. I should explain that these surveys will be a big undertaking—I have been advised that they would require about 30 engineers for 6 years or so. The present prospects of our being able to recruit that additional staff are not good. The Office of Public Works have great difficulty in recruiting the engineers required to service the arterial drainage programme already in hands. In the circumstances, it is not possible to say when works on the River Suck and the Shannon can be undertaken.
The Breedogue River is part of the Boyle river catchment. A special investigation of that catchment was made last autumn to see whether any improvement could be made in advance of the Shannon works. I am happy to say that it was found that, by utilising the storage capacity and balancing effect of the lakes in the area, it may be possible to carry out a drainage scheme there without worsening conditions downstream in the Shannon. A detailed engineering survey will be necessary before a scheme can be prepared. It has been decided to commence that survey this year.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary give any indication as to when that survey in connection with the Breedogue and the Boyle rivers will be completed and, following that, when the scheme is likely to be put into operation?
As I say, there are a vast number of problems to be considered when the survey itself is completed, as is usual in these schemes, and I should not like to give an indication at this stage as to when the work will start.
In regard to the other two rivers, the Suck and the Shannon, the Parliamentary Secretary has stated that the survey itself would take approximately six years and staff would have to be recruited. Can the Parliamentary Secretary give any assurance that the staffs will be available within the next 12 months or two years in order to start this very urgent survey work?
I cannot give any indication. The lack of engineers is a serious problem. We are doing our best to recruit them. If the Deputy will put down a question again in about three months' time, we may be able to give some indication.
Is it not a fact that last October or November this question was raised of the serious position in regard to the lack of engineering staff? Has the Parliamentary Secretary not found any improvement since that time in the recruitment of engineers?
We have found only a very slight improvement. We cannot create engineers. They have to go to the university and it takes time to get them qualified.
I appreciate that, but is it not a fact that when the Government wanted to get going on the TB eradication scheme there was no trouble about paying veterinary surgeons plenty of money? Is there any reason why an urgent matter such as drainage should not be undertaken by giving attractive salaries to Irish engineers who are now working abroad?
It is not so much a question of remuneration or salary to be offered; it is a question of scarcity. The output from the universities in the past number of years has fallen substantially. I should like to point out to the Deputy that the highest amount of money ever expended under the Arterial Drainage Act of 1945 has taken place within the past two years.
Not on the Suck and the Shannon. It will be another 20 years at this rate.