asked the Minister for Finance if he can state the number of proposals submitted to the Board of Works by the Laoighis County Council under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925, the number of such schemes already approved and carried out, and the total amount paid out from State funds in connection with the carrying out of such schemes.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - LAOIGHIS DRAINAGE SCHEMES.
Mr. BOURKE
The Commissioners of Public Works have received petitions from the Laoighis County Council in respect of nine proposals under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925. No scheme has so far reached the stage of having been approved or carried out, and consequently no expenditure from State funds has been incurred.
Of the nine proposals received five have been inspected by the Commissioners' engineers, and the lands in three of these have been valued. Consideration of the remaining two cases has been deferred pending the completion of the Barrow Drainage Scheme. As regards two of these cases—Erkina and Eglish and Johnstown—the Deputy is referred to reply to his question No. 14.
In the third place the Commissioners are in communication with the County Councils of Laoighis and Offaly relative to their contributing towards the cost of the scheme.
asked the Minister for Finance if he can state the date on which the proposal for the drainage of the Rivers Erkina, Eglish, and Johnstown was forwarded to the Board of Works by the Laoighis County Council, the date on which the preliminary inspection work was completed, the total estimated cost for the carrying out of the work, and the amount allocated from State funds, and whether he can now state when the actual drainage work will be started.
Mr. BOURKE
Petitions under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925, in respect of the Erkina and the Eglish and Johnstown proposals were received by the Commissioners of Public Works from the Laoighis County Council in January, 1926. In the case of the Erkina proposal the Engineer's preliminary report was received in January last and the Land Valuer's revised valuation on the 9th ultimo. The Engineer's preliminary report as regards the second proposal was furnished in December last and the Valuer's report in May.
As the matter stands at present the Erkina scheme is estimated to cost £24,700 and the Eglish and Johnstown one £2,300.
Having regard to the high cost, more particularly in the case of the Erkina proposal, the question of including with them in one scheme the existing Rathdowney Drainage District, which lies between the other two, is under consideration. If this course should be decided on it would be necessary to communicate with the County Council with a view to the forwarding of a petition to deal with the Rathdowney District under the Drainage Act of 1925.
Having regard to the position of these two cases no allocation from State funds (which would need to be supplemented by County Council grants) has yet been made, nor can it be yet stated when actual work will be started.