Generally speaking, the Office of Public Works have done their usual excellent job on the arterial drainage scheme on the Bonet river in County Leitrim and we thank them for it. Unfortunately, however, there are some exceptions to this blanket praise. For instance, the Lower Bonet from Dromahair to Lough Gill has not been touched; neither has the Killary River.
I want to deal with the stretches of the Upper Bonet in the areas of Mullies and Glenade which were originally included as part of the scheduled works. I asked very specific questions about these stretches in the Dáil on 7 May last and received a very full reply from the Minister of State. I did not like the contents of his reply, but it was thorough. He told me it has been decided to suspend work indefinitely on the Bonet catchment scheme. He said the stretches of the Upper Bonet in the areas of Mullies and Glenade were included as part of the scheduled works on this drainage scheme and that works in these areas had not been completed. He gave the reasons. He also told me there were no plans at present to complete the drainage works. That was not good news for me or for the farmers in the area who had approached me.
This week I read the heading in the Leitrim Observer that the Bonet scheme will be completed. A report was given of a meeting in Manorhamilton which was told that the Minister for Finance had given a verbal commitment that all sections of the river included in the original proposed scheme would be completed. Nothing could be more definite than that. The meeting was also told there was confidence that the money could be found in this year's budget.
I want to ask the Minister of State what the true position is. Is it the story told to me in answer to a Dáil question that the work on the Bonet catchment has been suspended indefinitely, that the Mullies and Glenade stretches have not been completed and that there are no plans at present to complete the drainage works? Is it the story told to the meeting in Manorhamilton that all sections will be completed and that there is a good chance the money will be found in this year's budget? I hope it is the latter.
