asked the Minister for Finance what steps have been taken by the Office of Public Works to restore water supplies to houses in the Bective, Kilmessan area of County Meath, whose supplies have been taken away as a result of the Boyne arterial drainage work.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Meath Water Supply.
72.
While the Commissioners of Public Works are advised that they have no legal liability for the conditions referred to they are considering sympathetically the difficulties of the people concerned. It is hoped to arrive at a decision very shortly.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say if sympathetic consideration will put water into houses, into a public pump, or into a local business house? People have spent a good deal of money providing water and they have been without water since the scheme started. What happened exactly? Local people say they can get no replies to letters to the Office of Public Works. What exactly has been done?
All I can say is that the Office of Public Works' attitude to the proposals is one of sympathy and a decision will be taken very quickly.
Sympathy is one of those rare things which is no darn use to anybody. Would the Parliamentary Secretary or someone in his office receive a deputation from the people in the area at an early date either here in Dublin or in Bective?
Yes. If the Deputy will communicate with my office I will be quite prepared to meet a deputation. I hope to be able to come forward with a satisfactory solution, which may include the sinking of a new type bore well and possibly with a contribution towards the group water supply scheme.
I will give every assistance to the Parliamentary Secretary because I know he is anxious to be helpful. I have been told his office has not answered letters. Mine has only been acknowledged. The local people who have written have got no reply. They have asked someone to call but no one has gone near them. This cannot be allowed to continue because there is no water in the area. If the Parliamentary Secretary will let me have a reply next Wednesday I will be prepared to defer it until then.
Our resident engineer and the county engineer are in consultation on this matter and we are trying to find the best means.
I am a member of the county council and I am in communication with our engineer there and the Parliamentary Secretary's information is not correct.
In fact, proposals were put forward by the county engineer.
But nothing has come back.
No.
Is it not a fact that a proposal has been in the Parliamentary Secretary's office for some time now? Would he be prepared to state the statute or authority which exempts the Board of Works from liability for damage done to the water supply in question? Would he also give some more information on the type of contribution which the Board of Works propose to make towards alleviating the lack of water in this area?
We have been asked to make a contribution to the sinking of a deep-bore well and to make a contribution to the group water supply scheme. I am aware that this matter arose about last September and it could be justly said that we may be moving a bit slowly on it but, in the first instance while we have no legal responsibility in this matter I and my staff are most sympathetic to the problem that exists here and I hope to come up with a satisfactory solution within a short time. If Deputy Tully and Deputy Bruton are not happy with the situation in a week or so I shall be only too happy to meet a local deputation.
How did you escape legal liability in this case?
That is the legal advice I have got.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that what he already told me was that by next Wednesday he would be able to tell me what exactly could be done?
I did not say by next Wednesday.
You said next week.
I said very quickly, probably next week.
I do not want to delay the House but this is a matter that we raised before the Christmas Recess. I am pressing the Parliamentary Secretary because I believe that by my doing this he can press the people who are supposed to be doing it.
I think what I said was that if I had not come up with a satisfactory solution by this day week I would arrange to meet a deputation.
Would you meet a deputation on Thursday if you cannot come up with it on Wednesday?
Thursday might present certain difficulties because we do not know what time we shall be free.
We always meet here at ten-thirty on Thursday mornings anyway and we could have a deputation here at eleven o'clock.
Would the Deputy contact my office because I have not my diary here?
I know the Parliamentary Secretary is a busy man but I should like to make sure of it.