The Lord Mayor did what he had to do by law. First, I should like to say that it is outrageous that we have to spend £2,000 million in such a brief space of time.
In relation to arterial drainage, we are supposed to have an accelerated programme in this connection in the west of Ireland this year. Yet the provision for arterial drainage in the Estimates shows only an increase of 14 per cent on last year, which is exactly the average of increases for all Departments. There is no acceleration whatever judged by the amount provided under this heading this year.
Secondly, insufficient money is being provided for coast protection, the provision being only one quarter of the average increase in provision compared with 1971 as has been provided for other Departments. We have been providing less in real terms for the prevention of coastal erosion than was being provided at the beginning of the decade.
I also wish to impress on the Minister the urgency of introducing national monuments legislation which has been promised for many years by successive Governments. An endeavour to modernise this law was rejected out of hand by the Government when it was made by this side of the House a few months ago on the promise of legislation from their own side. Nothing has appeared and I gather that nothing has yet been presented to the Government. Would the Minister for State try to have something done about this quickly?