The most important responsibility which devolves on the Parliamentary Secretary and on the Office of Public Works is in relation to arterial drainage. I consider the subvention being made here towards arterial drainage to be totally inadequate to meet the demand from every county. Further, I am convinced that the Office of Public Works have not the manpower, the facilities or the equipment to meet the demand for arterial drainage and, as I have stated here on a number of occasions, the time is long overdue when the whole approach to drainage should be reviewed.
A most unsatisfactory situation obtains in relation to drainage in that major and minor catchment schemes are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works, land drainage comes under a rehabilitation project that is the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture while certain minor streams and other small drainage projects are the responsibility of local authorities. Drainage should occupy a much higher place in the order of national priorities in view of the benefits it provides.
I am not satisfied that the Office of Public Works are equipped to do the job. In saying that I am not in any way being critical of the Parliamentary Secretary or any of his officials whom I have found to be most courteous, obliging and helpful. The machinery, the organisation and the finance at present being devoted to drainage are totally inadequate. I was very impressed recently by a report of a study carried out by the Agricultural Institute into the benefits of arterial drainage in so far as it affects agricultural production. It is a very detailed report. I cannot recall the expert who conducted the examination. The report speaks about the improvement of the land, increased productivity of the land, the new range of crops which might be grown, the new stock-carrying capacity of the land in the catchment area and the saving of colossal losses through animal diseases and so forth. It is only when one looks at drainage in this context that one realises the total inadequacy of the present State subvention and the present State organisation to cope with the problem.
I stated before, and I want to state again, that in view of the fact that this is an agricultural country and that some of the best agricultural land is subject to severe flooding periodically during the year, in view of the potential productivity of this land, the time is overdue for the establishment of a special drainage authority which would co-ordinate the work of the Office of Public Works in regard to arterial drainage, land rehabilitation, land drainage and that of local authorities in relation to other types of drainage and maintenance. The sooner that is done the better it will be. Certainly in the light of our possible entry into the EEC it is important that the maximum productivity would be obtained from every acre of land in the country.
It is tragic that so many thousands of acres of land should go to waste or not produce its maximum potential because of flooding. One has in mind huge catchment areas in the midlands and other catchment areas contiguous to the River Shannon. Arterial drainage is a very topical subject in my constituency and in West Limerick. A problem has arisen within the past six months in regard to the arterial drainage scheme for the River Maigue. The river was surveyed some years ago and a scheme was prepared. All was ready to start; the machinery, the men and the finance were available. Unfortunately at the last moment one large landowner lodged an objection. He was perfectly within his rights, as any landowner has the right to object if there is an infringement of his rights and can claim compensation. In this case the objection was so great and the problem so complicated that despite protracted discussions and negotiations between the Office of Public Works and the people concerned no solution could be found.
Subsequently the people concerned in this sought a High Court injunction against the Office of Public Works. The landowner succeeded. The result is that the drainage of the Maigue River has been held up for about a year and will be held up indefinitely. The Parliamentary Secretary does not suggest any solution to this problem.
I want to state my views in relation to this matter. I have examined this situation fairly thoroughly. I have attended protest meetings in Limerick country and particularly protest meetings of farmers whose lands would be affected by the scheme. I regret the landowner in question has proved to be unreasonable. I want to be honest about this. It would be very easy for me to stand up here and attack the Board of Works for not proceeding with the scheme. I am satisfied from my investigation that the Board of Works have made every effort to find a reasonable solution to the problem. It is right that I should acknowledge this fact. The Parliamentary Secretary has devoted considerable time and attention to the matter. He has had discussions with the people concerned. Be that as it may, the present situation is that the drainage of this huge catchment area of the River Maigue, affecting thousands of acres of land in County Limerick, some of it in the centre of the Golden Vale and some of it the richest agricultural land in Western Europe, has been held up by reason of a decision of the High Court.
I attended a protest meeting in Kilmallock some months ago which was also attended by a great number of farmers and a number of my colleagues in the constituency. At that meeting I proposed that the best approach would be that the farmers affected should seek a meeting with the representatives of the Dunraven estate, the objectors. I am glad to say that meetings have been held and I am hopeful that reason will prevail and a suitable formula will be found to enable work to proceed on this most important project.
In addition to the fact that farmers who have been waiting for so many years to have this job done and who were making plans and had drawn up farm management plans in anticipation of the scheme, were disappointed, we are also concerned and very worried by the fact that 200 to 300 men who were available to work on the scheme and who would be assured of suitable employment for a number of years are now out of employment.
We are also concerned about the fact that the machinery and equipment for the scheme is lying idle in Limerick. Some time ago, on a Supplementary Estimate for the Office of Public Works, I appealed to the Parliamentary Secretary to refrain from moving the machinery from County Limerick. I appreciate the difficulty the Parliamentary Secretary finds himself in and I appreciate the difficulty of the office in this respect. However, I would again appeal to the Parliamentary Secretary to leave the machinery in County Limerick until a solution to this problem is found. I am quite confident a solution will be found. At the time of the High Court injunction I suggested in this House that perhaps as a solution the Office of Public Works would remove the machinery from the Maigue to the adjoining catchment area of the Mulcair and while a solution was being found for the Maigue problem, the machinery could be working in the Mulcair area. This would ensure that the employment of many men in Limerick would be protected. Subsequently a deputation from the Mulcair area came to Leinster House and were courteously received by the Parliamentary Secretary. We learned that this solution would not be satisfactory. It was not a question of shifting machinery and men from one area to another. We learned that the scheme for the River Mulcair had not been completed and that the work could not commence. That is the position at the moment. I hope that when the Parliamentary Secretary is replying to this debate he will be able to throw some light on this problem.
I should like to know what decision the Office of Public Works have come to following their study of the evidence in the High Court and their study of the judgement. I should like to know from the Parliamentary Secretary whether in the light of what has happened in the case of the Maigue any amendments to the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, are contemplated in order to prevent a recurrence of what has happened there. I do not want to add anything which might make a bad situation worse or might prevent a mutually satisfactory solution being worked out, but I want to deplore the fact that this has happened. If the Parliamentary Secretary considers that special amending legislation is necessary to enable the Maigue scheme to be proceeded with I want to assure him that he will get full agreement on this side of the House. We will ensure that such legislation will be proceeded with without any delay.
The plans for the River Maigue were outlined by the predecessor to the Parliamentary Secretary, my late constituency colleague, Deputy Donogh O'Malley. He envisaged a clockwise scheme starting with the River Deale on the Kerry border, then the River Maigue and then the River Mulcair on the Limerick-Tipperary border. The scheme on the Deale was completed. The Maigue scheme was due to start and is now held up. The scheme on the River Mulcair catchment area was discussed when a deputation came recently to see the Parliamentary Secretary. The Maigue and Mulcair schemes cover a catchment area which comprises for the most part very good agricultural land. I have no doubt that the increase in production and the improvement in farm methods which would result from the completion of these two schemes would offset the cost of carrying them out. I would ask the Parliamentary Secretary to have the work on the River Maigue started as soon as possible.
I want also to express the hope that the assurance which the Parliamentary Secretary gave us on the occasion of the recent meeting with the Mulcair deputation will be fulfilled and his projection regarding the possibility of starting the Mulcair drainage scheme will prove to be a reality.
The Parliamentary Secretary referred in his opening remarks to the River Maigue and indicated that provision is also included for it. I quote from volume 247, column 952 of the Official Report:
Provision is also included for the Maigue but, because of the recent High Court decision, this scheme will be delayed. The matters arising from that decision are being considered.
The Parliamentary Secretary also said:
The preparation of major schemes for the Erne, Corrib-Mask-Robe, Boyle, Mulkear, Suir, Nore and the Owenmore, Sligo ... is proceeding.
He also mentioned minor schemes. This mention of minor schemes brings to mind a minor scheme in East Limerick which is adjacent to Limerick city and which has been the cause of considerable agitation over a long period of time. A couple of deputations have come here about it since 1961. I do not think any deputation has come to the present Parliamentary Secretary. I am referring to the River Groody. This river stretches along the Dublin Road outside Limerick city. Anybody travelling to Limerick on the Dublin Road in winter after a heavy rainfall will see this eyesore which is, in places, a lake. This River Groody covers a relatively small area of countryside. It is a vitally important scheme and has been mentioned on a number of occasions as receiving priority. I understand that the preparatory work for the scheme was completed and placed on exhibition. The observations made by various parties during the period of the exhibition were being studied by the Office of Public Works. I was led to believe and I understood, as everybody in that area did, that work would commence on the Groody scheme in June. I appreciate that delays can occur. I would like the Parliamentary Secretary, when replying, to let us know what the present position about the River Groody really is and whether work will commence this year. I impress on the Parliamentary Secretary the importance of getting this scheme started without further delay.
The Parliamentary Secretary referred to the work which has been done on the Shannon embankments. It is only fair that I should pay tribute to the Office of Public Works for the wonderful work that has been done on this scheme. I am referring particularly to the work done adjacent to Limerick city. I recall that in 1960 or 1961 a small community in a place called Coonagh on the outskirts of Limerick were cut off by floods and completely isolated for several days. The men had to go to work by boat and the women had to travel to the main road by boat to do their shopping in Limerick city. The improvement as a result of the repair work that has been done on the Shannon embankments can be seen by anybody who examines the situation. This work is nearing completion and I should like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary what are his intentions regarding the men who are employed on the scheme and the machinery in use there. Is there other work to be done on the Shannon in that area? I should be grateful for any information he can give on this matter.
Having dealt with what I consider to be the most important aspect of the responsibility of the Office of Public Works, I should like to refer briefly to a few other aspects of this Estimate. The Parliamentary Secretary mentioned the work that has been done on national monuments. This work is very important. The preservation of those monuments serves to remind a younger generation of the great heritage of the past. They also, from a more materialistic point of view, are vitally important tourist attractions. One need only refer to the manner in which some of the castles have been renovated and reconstructed and the fact that they are proving to be such tremendous tourist attractions. I refer to Bunratty, Dún Guaire and the other castles which form part of the Shannon castles tours and which have been responsible for attracting thousands of visitors every year. I saw that about 44,000 people attended the medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle last season. Dún Guaire in Kinvara is also a tremendous attraction. I am in favour of every effort being made to preserve our ancient monuments, parks and great houses. I am glad the Office of Public Works are making progress in this field.
It is only right that public tribute should be paid to the work of An Taisce, the voluntary organisation interested in preservation. I have praised their work before but I feel it is right that I should mention again the tremendous job in focusing public sense of dedication which characterises the people associated with An Taisce. We have a very active group in Limerick city and they have done a tremendous job in focussing public attention on and reminding our young people of the landmarks of the chequered history of this nation. Members of An Taisce in Limerick have done very valuable work in trying to trace the remains of the famous Walls of Limerick. This is the type of work which should be encouraged. I have read the Parliamentary Secretary's speech but I cannot remember reading that he is providing a subvention to An Taisce.