asked the Minister for Finance the amount of money spent on the maintenance of the Broad-meadow river each year; the allocation from Meath and Dublin County councils for this work; and if he is satisfied that the work done in the Ashbourne/ Fieldstown Cross area is sufficient to keep the river properly maintained.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Dublin River Maintenance.
24.
The information sought by the Deputy in the first two parts of his question is set out in a statement which with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
|
Year |
Amount Spent |
Apportionment |
|||||||
|
Meath County Council |
Dublin County Council |
||||||||
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
£ |
s. |
d. |
£ |
s. |
d. |
|
|
10/12/64(a)—31/3/65 |
1,651 |
16 |
4 |
1,066 |
4 |
10 |
585 |
11 |
6 |
|
1965/66 |
6,987 |
8 |
11 |
4,510 |
7 |
4 |
2,477 |
1 |
7 |
|
1966/67 |
7,265 |
3 |
3 |
4,689 |
12 |
8 |
2,575 |
10 |
7 |
|
1967/68 |
6,693 |
7 |
7 |
4,320 |
11 |
0 |
2,372 |
16 |
7 |
|
1968/69 |
8,808 |
11 |
7 |
5,685 |
18 |
1 |
3,122 |
13 |
6 |
|
1969/70 |
7,969 |
1 |
3 |
5,144 |
0 |
0 |
2,825 |
1 |
3 |
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
|||||||
|
1970/71 |
8,063.32 |
5,204.84 |
2,858.48 |
||||||
|
1971/72 |
8,250.00(b) |
5,325.34 |
2,924.66 |
(a) Date scheme certified complete. (b) Estimated.
The reply to the third part of the question is yes.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that, because of a wage increase which took place, the maintainance of the river was left uncompleted? The men were laid off when the money ran out, not when the job was done.
What the Deputy suggested is not correct. The maintenance work on the river in question is satisfactory. There could be some weed growths and a degree of silting and bank slips and so on, but this would not necessarily mean that the channels are not discharging very effectively. The maintenance campaign for 1972 will commence in the spring.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary will agree that if there are bank slips and weed growths it will only be a short time until the river is as bad as it was before the arterial drainage scheme was carried out?
My information is that the scheme is functioning effectively and that there have not been hitherto any material complaints. This is the first suggestion of a complaint here.
Perhaps the Parliamentary Secretary would get somebody to have a look at it.
We shall shortly be starting the 1972 campaign.