asked the Minister for Finance when the engineers were removed from the drainage of the Dunkellin River.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dunkellin River Drainage.
11.
(Clare): Engineers of the Office of Public Works are engaged on the design of an arterial drainage scheme for the Dunkellin catchment area and have been for some time now. There are no plans to change the position.
How many engineers are involved and how many have been involved at the various points during the past 12 months, and what changes if any have occurred in that period?
(Clare): The position is that the survey has been completed. The scheme is now at the design stage and approximately 70 per cent of the design work has been completed. Most of this work, as the Deputy will be aware, is done on drawing boards in the office with an occasional visit to the catchment area. There have not been any people paid to do that work. Three studies now come on stream. One is a preliminary study in regard to ground water. Another is with regard to the oyster beds and the third is in relation to the Turlough area. If it becomes necessary to augment the number of engineers involved in the design, they will be employed.
The Minister said the survey has been completed and that 70 per cent of the design work has been done. He spoke of three studies and he said that staff may be employed to do the extra work in that respect.
(Clare): I have said that the three studies have been begun and that they are now in progress. We have had the necessary consultants to advise those involved.
Is it the case that the survey work has been completed and that that has led to three studies and to the design work? Will the Minister distinguish between the three?
(Clare): The pattern of progress in regard to arterial drainage is first of all a survey, secondly a design and thirdly a cost/benefit analysis. Then the scheme goes on display. In this case the survey has been completed and the design has been approximately 70 per cent completed. We are now engaged in three specific surveys. One is on the ground water situation, a survey which is necessary because of the possibility of being able to drain mini-schemes along that river catchment. This had come to light because of a preliminary study. There is danger of ground water along the catchment area if the scheme has not been designed properly.
Second, we have the oyster beds which have to have the right mixture of fresh water and saline water. That is essential. If there is too much fresh water all the oysters would be lost. This is going on under another professor supervised by him. Third, there is the Turlough area which raises species of birds and the forestry and wildlife section are doing a study on that. When we have these three specific studies at hand we will be able to complete the design of the scheme and ensure that we protect these areas and causes no damage to them if at all possible. But we must have the studies before we can complete the design. After that we can go on to the cost-benefit.
That is very clear and I would like to thank the Minister for explaining so clearly what was a bit confused. Could he say when the survey was completed?
(Clare): I do not have the date of the survey.
Surely the Minister must know when the survey was completed. Those other works followed from that.
(Clare): The survey had to be completed before the design could start. The survey would take a number of years. I do not have the date when it was completed but a survey takes quite a while in a big catchment area.
Has the Minister the date of the starting of the survey or the three studies which he says are 70 per cent complete?
(Clare): The studies I referred to are now going on. They have started recently. We had to get consultants from two areas in particular. We have secured their services and these studies are now going on.
Could the Minister furnish us with information of the date on which the survey was started and completed and the date on which the three studies were started?
(Clare): I will certainly furnish the date on which the studies were started and the date on which the survey was started. They will be different dates, as the Deputy will understand. It was quite recent.