asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of outstanding applications awaiting approval under the western drainage scheme on 31 December 1983; and the number of applications approved in 1983.
11.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Western Drainage Scheme.
10.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of applications under the western drainage scheme not yet processed by his Department.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together. A total of 3,497 applications were approved in 1983. At 31 December 1983 the number of applications remaining unprocessed was approximately 8,500.
Would the Minister not agree that the biggest problem faced by Deputies during 1983 was the number of applicants coming to them due to the restrictive nature of the scheme where applications from 30 September 1981 were not considered.
Yes. The Deputy will appreciate that the number of applications has been absolutely massive and it is very difficult to cater for all of them within the scope of the scheme. We were allowed to utilise 100,000 hectares in the scheme originally and this was increased to 150,000 hectares. Even with that huge amount of land we still could not hope to cater for all of the applicants who want to get involved.
Would the Minister not agree that it is time to consider whether finance will be available in the future? Some people have been waiting for two years and there is no hope.
I appreciate that. It would take at least until the end of June 1984 to process and approve the remaining applications to complete the 150,000 hectare limit. It is a massive scheme.
The Minister will agree that there are still a lot of applications outstanding under the western drainage scheme which has been of much benefit in bringing land into production. We still have over 600,000 acres in the west needing arterial drainage. Would the Minister agree that our arterial waterways must be of sufficient capacity to take extra water so that land can be brought into production following drainage?
Many arterial works are included in the schemes which have been drawn up already. The catchment areas of the Corrib, the Mask, the Robe, the Boyle and the Bonet are included. I do not see the Dunkellin mentioned.
It was not even mentioned in the debate last night.
A Cheann Comhairle——
We must move on to the next question. The Deputy's supplementary was allowed but it was very far from the main question.
12.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if money will be provided for the western drainage scheme in 1984.
The sum of £9 million is provided in 1984 Estimates for the western drainage scheme.
Could the Minister give any indication as to the number of applicants who can be dealt with this year from the £9 million which has been allocated?
The sum of £9 million provided for in the Estimate should cover 3,600 schemes or a total of 20,000 hectares.
I take it that the 8,500 unprocessed applications will be dealt with first.
I will have to consult with my officials on that point but I will keep the Deputy informed if he so wishes.
I take it that there is a reduction this year in the amount of money provided for western drainage. In view of the large number of people whose applications have not been processed, will the Minister try to get extra money for the very important western drainage scheme?
It is a bit late in the day to look for extra money but I will consult with my officials on the point the Deputy has raised.
On the last question——
I am not going back to the last question.
I mean Question No. 12. Is the Minister aware that the good work being done by farmers under the western drainage scheme is being curtailed due to the imposition of penal charges where culverts and bridges have to be raised or lowered? Would be consider making representations to the local authorities in the west on behalf of applicants to ensure——
That is a totally different question. I do not want to appear to be at odds with the Deputy, but frequently his supplementaries have no relation to the question on the Order Paper.
If we cannot ask questions we might as well not be here.
Questions are asked on notice. If the Deputy wants to ask a question like that, he should put it down in the ordinary way and it will be answered.
I will consult with my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, to see if the point raised can be overcome.
13.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if, in view of the refusal of the farm development office to accept applications under the western drainage scheme since 31 January, he proposes to introduce a national scheme.
I am not at present comtemplating the introduction of a national scheme to replace the existing western drainage scheme which is partly financed by the EEC. I am, however, having an examination made to see what other options are available for providing financial assistance towards drainage work in western areas.
Does the Minister agree that, because of the number of applications and the two-and-a-half year time lag, the western counties are now at a serious disadvantage? People living outside the 12 western counties can have the work attended to. This is very serious for young people who have gone into farming and who wish to avail of grant aid to reclaim land.
I agree with the Deputy. If I had sufficient money that problem might not exist. We are constantly examining the situation and, as I said, we are examining the other options.
Dry reclamation is used where drains are not available. At clinics I find that many people are not aware of that dry land reclamation for the removal of hedges and scrub. There seems to be a problem in the development service.
Ceist 14.
The Minister did not answer.
It was not a question. It was a statement.