asked the Minister for Local Government if he is prepared to allocate a grant under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, 1949, or from the National Development Fund, for the cleaning of Rathgorey burn, which flows south from Springfield Mountain and enters Mulroy Bay at Keadue, Rossnakill, County Donegal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Donegal River Cleaning.
The initiation of schemes under the Local Authorities (Works) Act and their submission for approval in connection with any grants that are made available are matters for each local authority. In this case there are no current proposals before my Department from Donegal County Council.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary mean to imply, when he says it is a matter for the local authority, that it is the elected members of the local authority or the engineering staff? Is he aware that in Donegal such submissions are made by the engineering and technical staffs and that the only thing we could have done was what we did in 1949, when we first submitted these schemes for general approval? That was as far as we could go.
I am a bit surprised that a member of a local authority and, in addition, a vice-chairman, after his long experience, is not able to satisfy himself as to whether the members of a local authority or the officials——
I am asking the Parliamentary Secretary.
I think this is the same scheme that was submitted for approval and approved of by the Department for the year ending 31st March, 1951. The scheme was approved and the local authority had the responsibility for carrying out the work and failed to do so.
Further arising out of the question, is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there was an (a) and a (b) list of approved schemes under the 1949 Act and if he knows which of these two——
That is an entirely different matter.
Let the Deputy not try to wriggle out of it.
I could give a lot more information which the Deputy might not like to hear.
It might come back on the Parliamentary Secretary.