asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that many parts of the River Barrow require to be deepened and widened; and, if so, if he will have this work carried out at an early date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Barrow Drainage.
asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the amount spent on maintenance work on theRiver Barrow since 1943 to date by the Barrow Drainage Board of the County Councils of Laoighis, Kildare, Offaly, and if he is aware that more heavy machinery is needed to deepen the river bed in many areas in County Kildare and County Offaly; and, if so, if such machinery will be made available, and a survey made of the important maintenance work which needs to be carried out as a matter of urgency.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 37 together. According to the statutory reports furnished annually by the Barrow Drainage Board to the Commissioners of Public Works a total of £94,810 has been expended in the financial years 1943-44 to 1952-53 inclusive on the maintenance of the works of the Barrow drainage district. The maintenance of the district is a statutory duty of the drainage board and that board is responsible for the making of such surveys and the provision of such machinery as may be necessary for that purpose. The execution of improvement works could be carried out by the Commissioners of Public Works only as part of a comprehensive scheme under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, for the River Barrow catchment as a whole. A considerable time is likely to elapse before such a scheme will be undertaken.