Vol. 345 No. 1
asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the concern of the farmers in the Fane catchment area in County Armagh about the proposed Dundalk water supply augmentation scheme; if he will assure them that no undue hardship will be caused as a result of his order; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
229.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make available to Dundalk Urban District Council and Monaghan County Council the report of the person who held the inquiry on the abstraction of water from Lake Muckno; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
230.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he has satisfied himself that the Dundalk water supply augmentation scheme will not cause undue hardship to the farmers along the Fane River and Lake Muckno and that it will not interfere with the planned development of the lake which is now in public ownership as an amenity area.
231.
asked the Minister for the Environment how the costs of the public inquiry on the Dundalk water supply augmentation scheme will be apportioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
232.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he has satisfied himself that the Dundalk water supply augmentation scheme will not interfere with the drainage of the River Fane under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
233.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he has satisfied himself that Dundalk Urban Council has no alternative source for a water supply other than Lake Muckno; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
234.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he took into account Monaghan County Council's proposal for the development of the Hope Castle grounds and lakes as a leisure centre when making a provisional order under the Water Supplies Act, 1942, enabling Dundalk Urban District Council to extract water from Lake Muckno and the River Fane system; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 to 234 inclusive together.
In making this provisional order, I gave full and careful consideration to the evidence presented at the public local inquiry and the report of the person who held the inquiry, including evidence in relation to the Hope Castle Amenity Area, the effect of the proposal on farmers and the possibility of a future arterial drainage scheme for the River Fane. I was satisfied from the evidence and report that Dundalk Urban District Council need a proper water supply as a matter of urgency, that the Lough Muckno/River Fane system is the only suitable source available to meet the Council's needs and that the proposal could be implemented without undue hardship to farmers or injury to amenity.
It is not the practice to make available the report of the person who held a local inquiry into a proposal such as this and I do not propose to depart from that practice in this case.
As to the question of costs, the position is that under section 91 of the Local Government Act, 1946, as amended by section 64 of the Local Government Act, 1955, I may certify that a contribution should be made towards costs and expenses reasonably incurred by any person (other than a local authority or other body) in relation to a local inquiry and direct payment by the local authority should I consider it reasonable to do so. Each application has to be considered on its merits and I cannot give any indication in advance as to whether such a contribution would be certified and directed to be paid in the event of a formal application being made to me.
