Jimmy Deenihan
Question:8 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Finance if he will allocate the necessary finances to carry out urgent maintenance works on the River Feale at the Cashen, Ballyduff, County Kerry.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - River Feale (Kerry) Drainage Scheme.
The funding of maintenance works on the Feale catchment drainage scheme in County Kerry is met from the allocation for arterial drainage maintenance in the Vote for the Office of Public Works. Critical sections are being given priority within the resources available.
Is the Minister aware that the bed at this point of the River Feale is over the level of the land and that serious flooding occurred last winter when one of the banks of the river burst? Is he further aware that of the two million acres of land served by the river 50,000 acres were flooded last winter for a considerable period? The good work carried out in the fifties is being reversed now because of a lack of maintenance. Is the Minister aware that not a penny has been spent maintaining this part of the river in recent times?
I should like to assure the Deputy that the commissioners maintain the completed works on the Feale catchment drainage scheme on an annual basis. Repairs are carried out within the resources available to the commissioners.
The Minister may not be aware that a large number of sluices are blocked and cannot function because of silting and deposits of allurium from the river. This is a very serious matter. The livelihoods of several farm families have been affected and people are losing a considerable amount of money because of a lack of maintenance at this location. I should like to point out that no serious attempt has been made for a considerable period to carry out maintenance at this part of the river.
I should like to remind Deputy Deenihan that he tabled a similar question to the Minister some time ago. With regard to siltation, I can confirm that there is no serious problem with siltation in the catchment of the river at present. It is accepted that some siltation has taken place in the main channel of the river. However, any such siltation has been localised and can be cleaned by means of drag line escavators as part of the routine annual maintenance. This work has been done.