asked the Minister for Finance if he will examine the possibility of having the Pettigo river, County Donegal, cleaned at an early date; and if he will make a comprehensive statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal River Drainage.
70.
The Pettigo (or Termon) River is not a listed priority catchment in the arterial drainage programme being carried out by the Commissioners of Public Works. It was considered in 1960 in connection with the selection of schemes for an intermediate rivers programme but it was found that the yield of damaged land in the catchment would be too small and too scattered to make it a feasible proposition for arterial drainage. No new circumstances have arisen which would warrant a review of this decision by the Office of Public Works.
I should like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary if this is, in fact, one of the rivers he inspected during a tour of Donegal/Leitrim constituency and, if he did inspect it, is he aware of the fact that the village of Pettigo should by right possibly be in Fermanagh? As it is, part of it is in Fermanagh and part in Donegal. Fermanagh has cleaned its side of the river and it is a shame for the Office of Public Works not to do something to clean the other side of the river and improve its appearance.
Unfortunately this river must be treated as a catchment on its own and the investigations in 1960 showed that it would be completely uneconomic.
I am not disputing what the Parliamentary Secretary has said about priorities and the list drawn up in 1955, which must now be out-of-date. I am going back only two months to the time when the village was flooded. The northern side was cleaned but the Board of Works have refused to clean this side.
My information is that the activities on the northern bank have in no way increased the flooding to any noticeable extent.
I know it has not, but nothing has been done on this side.
A friend of mine says that flooding is a very cheap way of catching trout and eels.
Will the Republican water not flow on to the Orange side?
I take it that the Office of Public Works have decided not to do anything about it.
At the moment the Office of Public Works do not intend to do anything about it.
The Fianna Fáil Party get votes there too, you know.