asked the Minister for Finance if he will explain the position regarding the drainage of the Island river, Roscommon-Galway, for a distance of 13 miles from Ballymoe to Granlahan; and if he will amend the legislation to allow the Suck Drainage Board to take over this tributary of the Suck as severe flooding takes place throughout the area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Roscommon-Galway River Drainage.
7.
Drainage of the Island river which is in the river Suck catchment could be dealt with by the Commissioners of Public Works only as part of a comprehensive scheme under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, for that catchment. At this stage it would not be possible to say when a scheme might be undertaken.
The 1945 Act was specifically designed so that arterial drainage works would be carried out on a catchment basis. The Act did not envisage work of a piecemeal nature such as would be required in this instance and I do not consider it expedient to amend the Act to provide for such piecemeal work; nor are there any plans for the extension of any existing drainage districts as suggested by the Deputy.
I am somewhat disappointed with the reply the Minister has given because——
A question, Deputy, please.
Is the Minister aware that the drainage scheme referred to in the question put down by Deputy Joan Burke is of as much importance as the one he and Minister of State Killilea visited last Friday in County Galway in respect of which they gave a promise of one kind or another? Would the Minister of State not think that he could have visited this one and made a promise of a survey or something of that nature at this time?
That is argumentative.
The Island River is a tributary of the River Suck and the River Suck cannot be done until the Shannon is done.
By golly, we will be waiting for a while before that is done.
There is an answer for you.