asked the Minister for Local Government when he expects to sanction proposals for the following extensions to the Ballincollig regional water supply scheme, County Cork: (a) Maglin bridge to Kilmaglory, (b) Rochfordstown and (c) Cloghroe level crossing.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Water Schemes.
39.
As the Southern Committee of Cork County Council have not acceded to a number of requests that they should submit to my Department a priority list of all the water and sewerage schemes in planning in their area, I cannot say what degree of priority they wish to attach to those extensions nor when a decision thereon is likely to issue.
40.
asked the Minister for Local Government the present position regarding the extension of the water supply from Barraduff to Carrigeen, County Kerry, which is urgently needed.
Approval was given last February to the county council's proposals for this scheme, including the raising of a loan to finance the work.
41.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will make an up-to-date statement on the progress of the North. Dublin regional water scheme and the other areas still to be served; and if he will indicate the cost, including the most recent contract.
The North Dublin regional water supply scheme is divided into 13 contracts estimated to cost in all about £2 million. The first five contracts numbering 1 to 4A provided for the headworks at Leixlip, plant and rising mains, and have been completed. These contracts cost £789,600.
Contract No. 5 is a most important contract. It provides for the laying of the spinal trunk main for the scheme which will run from the reservoir at Ballycoolan to Hedgestown, near Balbriggan. Work on this contract, estimated to cost £510,000, is well under way and is expected to be completed by next October or November.
The tender for Jordanstown reservoir, which is Contract No. 6, was approved on the 21st June, 1967. Work on this contract is estimated to cost £60,700 and is also expected to be completed by October or November, 1969.
Contract No. 7 provides for a supply of water to the Portrane/ Donabate/Corballis area. Contract documents were approved on the 29th November, 1968, and tenders are now under examination by the local authority. The estimated cost of the work is £75,000.
Contract No. 8 provides for water-mains in the Balbriggan, Rush and Skerries area. A tender for this contract was approved and a loan to finance the work, which is estimated to cost £140,300, was sanctioned in October, 1967. Work is expected to be completed by February, 1970.
Contract No. 9 comprises Thomas-town reservoir. A tender was approved in June, 1967, and a loan to finance the contract, which is estimated to cost £45,800, was sanctioned in December, 1967. Work is expected to be completed by October or November next.
Contract No. 10 provides for the north-west distribution system i.e. the Ward to Garrettstown, etc. Contract documents were approved on the 7th June, 1968. It is understood that the local authority are now dealing with the acquisition of land rights, etc. The estimated cost of the contract is £166,000.
Contract No. 11 provides for the distribution system to the Naul. Documents for this contract have not yet been submitted to the Department but I understand that design documents will shortly be submitted by the local authority for my approval.
Contract No. 12A, provides for the distribution system in the south-west area, i.e. Mulhuddart, Clonee, Clonsilla. Work on the contract, which is estimated to cost £41,500, is nearing completion.
Virtually all the remaining contracts are dependent for a supply of water on the completion of the spinal trunk mains under Contract No. 5 and work on the more important contracts is being synchronised as far as possible with the laying of the spinal trunk main so as to ensure that the areas concerned will get a supply of water without any undue delay when Contract No. 5 has been completed.
The election must be coming soon.
October or November.
I wish to thank the Minister very sincerely. Great things have happened in our time.
Is it not a fact that Deputy P.J. Burke is the vice-chairman of Dublin County Council at present, that he knew the answer in detail to this question before he put it down and that he put it down at the request of the Minister——
No, I did not.
——so that the Minister might have an opportunity of blowing his trumpet about providing basic services for the people of North County Dublin which they should have had many years ago only for the shortsightedness of the Fianna Fáil Government in not providing them?
I am very sorry that Deputy Clinton is taking the good work that Fianna Fáil are doing in County Dublin so badly——
(Interruptions.)
I will sympathise with him on another occasion.
The Deputy is a good hand at that. He seems to be at all the funerals.
As you, a Cheann Comhairle, will be very well aware, and the older Members of this House will be equally aware, this is a matter in which I have had an interest for over 20 years. Is it now correct to assume that the North County Dublin regional water scheme, conceived when the Minister was running around Fairview Park in short pants and unveiled, if I do not make a mistake, in the village of the Naul as an impending Fianna Fáil plan some quarter of a century ago by Deputy Burke——
Like the Shannon scheme.
Can we now assume that those in the middle-age group will have a reasonable hope of seeing water flowing through these pipes and that, indeed, there may be a possibility that this fabled and legendary proposal——
The Deputy will pull his weight.
——all 13 stages of which have been revealed here for the first time in the history of the House by the Minister, for the obvious purpose of filling a page of the Drogheda Independent to get votes for Deputy Burke, as if he needs them, because I can——
We cannot have a speech on this matter.
I am not trying to make a speech.
The Deputy is making a very good try. The remaining questions——
Surely I will be allowed to reply to my colleague?
I have not finished the sentence. Let me round off the question. Have we now an assurance——
Water will flow 25 years after Moses Burke struck the rock.
(Interruptions.)
Have we now an assurance that there is some remote prospect that water will flow through these parched areas of Skedoo and Spitalstovan.
It is a fact that the sabotage of the country's economy during the last Coalition period has been so completely overcome——
Where were you in 1916?
What happened over the last 12 years?
——that this £2 million scheme is now on the point of completion.
It is time we had a general election.
All the various contracts have been so synchronised as to be completed by the significant date of October or November of this year and it is a——
Dissolve.
——fact that the successful completion of this major regional water scheme has been responsible for chasing Deputy Dunne out of North County Dublin.
(Interruptions.)
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.