Vol. 406 No. 4
95 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Finance the progress made to date on engineering and other field surveys in the Dunkellin River catchment area of County Galway; when a decision will be made in relation to the commencement of a drainage scheme for the catchment; and if he will outline the areas in the Dunkellin drainage district which are maintainable by Galway County Council.
All the major engineering field investigations of a drainage scheme for the Dunkellin catchment have been completed although some updating of field survey data is required. Considerable progress has been made on the design of a scheme but it will be some time yet before this is complete. Any decision to proceed with works must await completion of the design and the outcome of the environmental impact assessment, which is now statutorily required, and the cost benefit analysis. In this connection, while certain aspects of the environmental impact assessment have been completed, much still remains to be done and, in the circumstanmces, it is not possible to say when a decision will be made.
The Dunkellin drainage district, maintainable by Galway County Council, consists of the Dunkellin River to Ballykeeran Bridge, the Raford River to Kiltullagh Bridge, the Agard River to Lacken, the St. Clerin's River to Loughrea railway station and the Kilconieron River to Dartfield as well as various tributary drains.
