asked the Minister for Finance the funds, if any, which will be provided in 1987 for arterial drainage work on the Owenmore and Arrow rivers in County Sligo.
54.
Written Answers. - Arterial Drainage Schemes.
52.
asked the Minister for Finance the progress, if any, which has been made in recent months regarding the design for the arterial drainage scheme for the Owenmore and Arrow rivers in County Sligo; the amount of design work still remaining; the staff, if any, now engaged in a full time or part time capacity on the design work; when the design will be finished; the duration of time it will take to implement a cost-benefit analysis of the scheme; and when the scheme for the Owenmore and Arrow rivers will be posted.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 54 together.
Following the resumption of the design of a comprehensive arterial drainage scheme for the Owenmore and Arrow river catchment, it has been possible, by the assignment of one engineer, full time, and one engineer, part time, together with the back-up services provided by the hydrology, hydrometric and other specialist units within the Office of Public Works, to bring the design to approximately 35 per cent completion. While a considerable amount of work rémains to be done, it is expected that a preliminary design for this major scheme will be completed in the summer of 1989. In the absence of design details, it is not possible to accurately assess the likely duration of any cost-benefit or environmental analyses or to say when scheme works might be commenced.
The question of providing funds in 1987 for the scheme works does not arise.
53.
asked the Minister for Finance the present order of precedence of major catchment areas and minor catchment areas on the list of rivers still to be drained under the arterial drainage scheme.
The previous Government authorised the Commissioners of Public Works to proceed with the design of four arterial drainage schemes. Those schemes in order of precedence are as follows (1) Mulcaire, (2) Owenmore, (3) Suir and (4) Dunkellin.
55.
asked the Minister for Finance the rivers on which work is now in progress under the arterial drainage schemes.
Construction works are in progress on arterial drainage schemes for the Boyle, Bonet and Monaghan Blackwater river catchments.
56.
asked the Minister for Finance the total cost of the arterial drainage work carried out on rivers in 1986 and the funds, if any, which have been made available for work on arterial drainage this year.
Total expenditure on arterial drainage construction works from voted moneys in 1986 was £9.926 million. Following the completion of schemes in the Boyne, Maigue and Corrib-Mask-Robe catchments in 1986 the funds provided for the 1987 works programme is £6.77 million.
57.
asked the Minister for Finance the maximum number of people employed at any one time last year on arterial drainage work; and the number of people employed at present on arterial drainage work.
The maximum number of industrial workers employed on arterial drainage work in 1986 was 761, for the month of June.
Six hundred and four such people are employed on arterial drainage at present.