asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider giving money towards drainage throughout the Sligo-Leitrim area where hundreds of acres of land have been rendered useless as a result of flooding.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Drainage Schemes.
31.
There are no funds at the disposal of the Commissioners of Public Works out of which grants for drainage works could be made. It is firm policy accepted by successive Governments that the national arterial drainage programme should proceed on a catchment basis in accordance with established priority lists.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say what moneys will be spent under the national drainage programme in Sligo-Leitrim?
That is a separate question.
Mr. Kenny
For the coming year? The Deputy will find that in the Estimates for the coming year. They were circulated last week.
I do not know whether this is a proper point of order but if not it is a point of indulgence. When I handed in the next question the words "in County Mayo" were not included. I wonder would the Ceann Comhairle direct that the words "in County Mayo" be deleted from the record?
I would like to assist the Deputy in the matter, certainly.
32.
asked the Minister for Finance if he is in a position to confirm that the drainage of the Lung river in County Mayo will be put in hand by the Office of Public Works; and when actual work may be expected to start.
Mr. Kenny
The Lung is one of the principal channels in the Boyle catchment. A scheme under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, for that catchment is being considered but it would not be possible, at this stage, to say if or when works might commence.
In view of the fact that the Parliamentary Secretary has been able, to his credit, to announce that the remainder of the Corrib-Robe-Mask catchment area will be done, will he not accept that the third prong of an inescapable political commitment remains to be discharged by him, the commitment not made by him but inherited by him, namely that the Maigue, the Robe and the Lung would be completed irrespective of any cost-benefit analysis that may have been in progress in his Department in recent times?
Mr. Kenny
No. Henceforth there must be a cost-benefit survey of every catchment that is to be done and this has been initiated since 1969 by the Minister for Finance. That must be done before any other catchment area can be finalised.
Is it not a fact that the undertaking given by the Parliamentary Secretary, and in my opinion rightly given, in regard to the Robe was to the effect that the Robe would be completed in accordance with the old system which operated prior to the initiation of the cost-benefit analysis?
Mr. Kenny
The Deputy is incorrect because already the cost-benefit survey team are working on the Corrib-Mask-Robe catchment and this is by order of the Minister for Finance in accordance with established rule since 1969.
Therefore what the Parliamentary Secretary is saying is that the announcement in regard to the Robe is that it will be continued because it is the balance of a unified scheme containing the Robe which was begun prior to the cost-benefit analysis decision?
Mr. Kenny
No. The Deputy must understand that when the Corrib was first initiated in 1948 it was initiated as a full catchment area divided into three phases. The Corrib was finished, the Corrib-Headford was finished and now they are on the third phase. It would be ridiculous to have all North Mayo drained, all North Galway and South Mayo drained and the best fertile land of Mayo, around Ballinrobe, Thomastown, Hollymount, inundated with water. The third phase must go through but it must go through under the initiation of the cost-benefit survey in 1969.
In all these cases of cost-benefit analysis is the purely economic value only analysed or is the social value analysed as well?
Mr. Kenny
The social value is taken into consideration as well.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary say——
I have given a lot of latitude to Deputy Flanagan and others on this question and I hope Deputies will appreciate that and will not take an unfair advantage of the Chair.
Have the results of the cost-benefit analyses that have already been carried out been made known?
Mr. Kenny
Yes, the initial one. I do not know whether this is confidential or not but in the initial cost-benefit survey of the Maigue—and that took two years and four months because they went into very detailed accounts about it—I think from memory that for every £2.90——
Deputies
It was not circulated.
Mr. Kenny
Was it not? Therefore, I will not tell you.
When will it be circulated?
Mr. Kenny
As soon as possible after today.
You told us that six weeks ago.
Mr. Kenny
I did not.
(Interruptions.)
33.
asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of the fact that a dam which was erected by the Office of Public Works on the Clonabraney River near Ballinlough, Kells, County Meath was damaged by flooding during the winter, he will make arrangements whereby drainage operations may be carried out on that river to ensure that a number of farmers in the area will have drinking water for their cattle in the summer.
Mr. Kenny
The Deputy may be assured that arrangements will be made to preserve watering facilities for cattle in the area in question.
Will the water be provided before May Day?
Mr. Kenny
That depends on the weather.
The farmers are very worried that they will have no water for their stock during the summer and May Day is taken as the beginning of the summer.