asked the Minister for Local Government when he received an application for sanction of a piped water supply for Oola, County Limerick; when sanction was given for this water supply; and if he will state the reasons for the long delay in the giving of this sanction.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Oola (Limerick) Water Supply.
28.
Preliminary proposals and estimate for a water supply scheme for Oola were received in my Department on 31st August, 1964, and approved in principle on 3rd November, 1964. Contract documents were received on 30th April last and are at present being examined by my technical advisers.
There has been no undue delay in dealing with proposals for this scheme.
Did the Minister say that this was the first application for the Oola water supply which was received?
I imagine it must be. The reply refers to "preliminary proposals and estimate" which would indicate to me that it must have been the first application.
Is the Minister aware that a member of the county council attached to his Party stated that an application was made 25 years ago and that——
That was slightly before my time.
——it was only last month that sanction was obtained and that this statement appeared in the public press?
That was slightly before my time in the Department. It is quite possible that this may have happened.
Surely the record must be in the Department?
If we want research for 25 years, I will not lend myself to it. Certainly, in so far as a live application is concerned, this is the one I have got. As I said in my reply "preliminary proposals and estimate" for a supply were received and I do not think anything could be earlier than that.
Will the Minister tell us the difference between a live and a dead application?
I should say that if there was an application made 25 years ago and nothing took place, that must be the dead one.
That is the one about which the Minister's Party are talking.