asked the Minister for Lands (a) whether he is aware that farmers in and near Thomastown, Golden, County Tipperary, have suffered and are likely to suffer still further serious losses due to the fact that the Ballyricane stream, which flows through their lands, has not received attention for a considerable time; (b) whether £500 was retained by the Land Commission out of the purchase money of the Daly estate (Record No. 5.134) to form the nucleus of a fund from which the expenses of the upkeep of the stream could be met, and, if so, (i) whether there are, or were, trustees of the fund; (ii) how is the fund being applied, and (iii) what is its present position; and (c) whether he will state the extent of the Land Commission's responsibility for the proper upkeep of the stream and whether they are discharging their duty in this respect.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Flooding Caused by Stream (County Tipperary).
The stream in question is an artificial watercourse which was constructed a considerable time ago by a former owner of the adjoining lands. On the acquisition by the Land Commission of the Daly estate, £500 of the purchase money thereof was transferred to the public trustee to form a fund for the maintenance of the watercourse. Interest on this money has been applied in discharging the wages of the caretaker of the watercourse.
While the Land Commission have spent almost £2,000 on the repair of this watercourse, they have no responsibility for ensuring an adequate supply of water for the adjoining landholders. They have endeavoured for years, without success, to find local people who would act as trustees and administer the fund, to which the Land Commission are prepared to contribute £1,000. Until such time as the benefiting landholders come to appreciate that their interests would be best served by administering the fund themselves, there is little the Land Commission can do to improve the position.