asked the Minister for Finance whether the farming community, particularly in the west of Ireland, may expect early attention to the matter of intermediate drainage.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - West of Ireland Drainage.
22.
The first effort of the arterial drainage programme must be directed to the large and important catchments in settled priority. Smaller catchments, in the intermediate river category, are being dealt with only as possible without prejudice to the main programme. In the matter of arterial drainage the west of Ireland fares favourably.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that at a recent meeting in County Mayo with voluntary organisations and the newly appointed secretary of the development authority arterial drainage was recommended as one of great priority? Will the Parliamentary Secretary say whether he will accept the recommendations of the newly appointed secretary in that regard and make money available for this work in those areas to which attention has been drawn?
The Deputy may not be aware that out of the £17 million spent on arterial drainage, £7 million has been spent in the west of Ireland.
What about the £20 million for the drainage of the Shannon?
Would the Parliamentary Secretary consult with the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries who, I think, will inform him that the county manager of County Mayo prohibited proceedings under the Land Project over a wide area, on the ground that there was no outlet for the water if it were drained off the land? Will he consider, in the light of the very substantial sum of money spent on the Moy and Corrib, the desirability of attending to the intermediate drainage into those two big river basins in order to enable essential drainage work, which the Minister for Agriculture wants undertaken, to be undertaken?
I may have misunderstood the Deputy but I seem to understand that he recommends that all the drainage efforts be put into the west of Ireland and that this particular problem about the Corrib is peculiar to the west of Ireland and that it does not exist anywhere else at all. It is quite a usual thing, and land reclamation is held up through the necessity to develop the main arterial drainage there.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary consult with the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries at least and ask him that question? The question of the intermediate drainage from fields into the Moy actually held up land reclamation work in Mayo.
All we are concerned with is that Government action will match up to Government promises.
You will have £20 million for the Shannon.
Bhfuil focal i dtaobh na Sionna in aon chor?
Níl.
The Shannon is on a three weeks health cruise.