asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate when it is proposed to allocate arterial drainage grants for the clearance of the Arigideen and Ilen rivers, County Cork.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cleaning of West Cork Rivers.
3.
As I explained to the Deputy on 23rd October last, the survey which has been made of the Owenkeagh catchment area, which includes the Arigideen river, reveals that it would be difficult to evolve a satisfactory drainage scheme for the catchment. As I promised on that occasion, a final examination is being made but the outcome will not be known for some months.
So far as the Ilen river is concerned, I regret that the staffing position in the Engineering Branch of the Office of Public Works will not permit of a commencement of the survey this year and at the present stage I cannot say when it will be possible to make a start.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary state when it is likely a report will be available in relation to both these rivers? Would he give us an approximate date because interested parties are anxious to have some idea as to when it is likely reports will be available?
The position is that the design of the scheme has been hampered by engineering staff difficulties and by the fact that the proposal seems to be uneconomic. The Arigideen section is particularly uneconomic. With regard to the Owenkeagh, which is the old drainage district, that might provide the basis for a limited scheme. To answer the Deputy's question, the engineer hopes to complete his investigation in about eight weeks.
Of the Arigideen?
Of the Owenkeagh.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary address himself to the fact that applications for the drainage of smaller rivers have been refused on the grounds that grants could not be made available until such time as the Arigideen and the Ilen have been done? If grants towards the development of the smaller rivers were made available, I think that would ease the position so far as reports are concerned.