asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware of the great hardship on the farming community in the district of Curraghboy, South Roscommon, and adjacent areas, arising from the serious flooding of arable land by the Crannagh Cross, Lung and Feorish Rivers, which were recently partly drained; and if he will now take the necessary steps to have the drainage completed and bring relief to the farmers of these areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - South Roscommon Flooding.
10.
I regret that I cannot say at present when it will be possible to have these rivers considered for treatment under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that this work had already commenced under the Local Authorities (Works) Act and that it was left half completed? Surely the Parliamentary Secretary would consider the urgency and need of completing the work commenced and not wait for the arterial drainage work?
I am sure the Deputy is aware that under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act it is not competent for the Commissioners to do piecemeal drainage work; they have to deal with the question on a catchment area basis. The works to which the Deputy refers were not carried out by the Commissioners of Public Works but were done by the local authority.
I addressed my question to the Minister for Finance. Am I to take it that it should have been addressed to the Minister for Local Government? Is the Minister shedding his responsibility? May I give notice, Sir, that I shall repeat this question to the Minister for Local Government?
Is the Parliamentary Secretary not aware that the Lung drainage was done by the Board of Works acting as agents for the Land Project and that it constitutes part of the Shannon drainage area which it is not contemplated to carry out under the Arterial Drainage Act? If the Parliamentary Secretary is not prepared to take measures to complete the work commenced by the Board of Works on the Lung River, the work will never be completed whereas a small appropriation of money under the Local Authorities (Works) Act project would certainly finish the Lung River, whatever would be the fate of the other rivers mentioned in the question.
In view of the fact that there is no mention of arterial drainage in the question, is it not fair to ask the Minister for Finance to restore the grants available under the Local Authorities (Works) Act in order to complete the work begun? In view of the desirability of ensuring that the money already spent is not wasted, would the Minister consider sympathetically giving sufficient money now, in the form of a grant, to enable the local authority to complete the works specified in the question?
I should like to tell Deputy Dillon that it is true that the Commissioners of Public Works have done certain work on an agency basis, but the decisions in these cases were the decisions of some other Department and not the Commissioners. It is not competent for the Commissioners to do piecemeal work under the authority of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945——
That is why we gave them authority under another Act to do it on a rational basis.
——and the question should not have been directed to me. Further arising out of Deputy Dillon's remarks, I would point out that when he was Minister for Agriculture he was the person largely responsible for bringing in an American expert. This expert made certain recommendations which this Government duly implemented, and that implementation is still in progress. We have honoured the decision taken by the last Government in the matter.
We started; you finished.
A result will not be available on the decision taken by the last Government until the end of 1960. Let me repeat the Commissioners may not do piecemeal work under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. Piecemeal drainage attempted under the Local Authorities (Works) Act was condemned by the Commission which sat from 1938 to 1940.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that his colleague, the Minister for Local Government, has indicated he is prepared to sanction a loan to do the work the Parliamentary Secretary now says is wasted? Is there anything logical in the Minister for Local Government stating in a letter to Senator Lenihan that he is prepared to sanction a loan to complete this work if the county council ask them to sanction such a loan?
Prepared to consider.
In view of what the Parliamentary Secretary has said, who is telling the truth in this House about the Crannagh Cross River?
It is not Deputy McQuillan anyway.
This question was addressed to the Minister for Finance. It may not have been clear enough but it was really intended to ask the Minister for Finance to place money at the disposal of the Minister for Local Government to complete the work which had already begun and which was partially done. Both Departments are now throwing the responsibility on each other but, between them, the farmers are suffering.
They will not have a vote anyway, they say.
Question No. 11.