asked the Minister for Finance if he can state when drainage work on the Owenavorragh river, County Wexford, will commence.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Drainage of County Wexford River.
125.
I cannot say at present when work on this scheme will commence.
I could not hear what the Parliamentary Secretary said in reply to Question No. 125.
I said that I cannot say at present when work on this scheme will commence.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary give any indication as to why this work is held up, because I understood it was to start last August?
I have no recollection of ever having made any such promise.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary not tell us why it is not going to start? Is there no money?
If the Deputy looks at his Book of Estimates, he will see the provision made for drainage works, both for last year and the coming year; that will clarify the question he has just raised about the availability of money. I am sure he will know also that the Office of Public Works must see that the best benefit is got from the money they spend on arterial drainage and, having regard to that particular obligation, this scheme has not been gone ahead with so far.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary give any indication as to when the scheme is likely to start? That is the object of a Parliamentary Question, to try to get some information, but so far I have had none.
I think the answer to that supplementary is to repeat the reply: "I cannot say at present when work on this scheme will commence".
In other words, the Parliamentary Secretary does not want to answer the question —is that not right? Deputy Allen had a letter in the local paper to say the scheme was to start two years ago. Therefore, it would not do for the Parliamentary Secretary to answer it today.
I would challenge the Deputy to produce that letter.