asked the Minister for Finance the present position vis-à-vis the Board of Works staff in 1986; the projects, if any, that are included in the Book of Estimates for 1986; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
13.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers (Resumed). - Office of Public Works Staff.
11.
asked the Minister for Finance in view of the large numbers of redundancies proposed in the Board of Works in 1986, if he will now include the drainage of the Dunkellin river in County Galway in the Book of Estimates currently being prepared and ensure that the expertise available within the Board of Works personnel located on the Corrib-Mask drainage scheme at Headford, County Galway, will be utilised by being transferred to the work on the Dunkellin river; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Question Nos. 11 and 13 together. There are at present about 820 men employed by the Commissioners of Public Works on arterial drainage works countrywide, of which, due to the imminent completion of the Boyne, Maigue and Corrib-Mask-Robe schemes, about 300 or so will be made redundant during 1986. About 130 additional men will, however, be employed on the Blackwater, Monaghan, scheme during the year and subsequently works will also continue on the Boyle and Bonet schemes.
There are no plans to commence works on the Dunkellin on completion of the Corrib-Mask-Robe scheme. The Deputy will be aware that planning of all future arterial drainage schemes, including the Dunkellin, has been suspended since February 1983 pending the outcome of the review of drainage policy undertaken by the commissioners in accordance with the directions of the Government. The report on the review should be before Government shortly.
A large number of other projects will proceed in 1986 and, as is customary, a list of these will be circulated to Deputies when the Estimate for Public Works and Buildings comes before the House.
The Minister has not indicated the number of people who would be made redundant in the Corrib-Mask catchment. Would he not agree that in an area where 90,000 acres of land and 14,000 families are affected in the Dunkellin river basin it would be logical and practical in the interest of improving the infrastructure for Irish agriculture to carry out a direct transfer of staff and expertise to this area? Would he reconsider deploying the staff to this important river basin?
As I said in my earlier reply, the review of drainage policy is designed principally to ensure that money is spent wisely. Until the review is finalised and decisions made by the Government, I cannot give any further information.
It is a sad day.
It is now 3.30 p.m. and we will move to questions nominated for priority.