asked the Minister for Finance the percentage of moneys spent on arterial drainage that can be claimed from the EC; the EC scheme or heading under which the money is paid; the total EC funds so far allocated for arterial drainage; the funds which are now available to this country from the EC for arterial drainage; if further funds can be negotiated; and the Government's intention in this matter.
Written Answers - Arterial Drainage.
73.
Under Directives 78/628/EEC (as amended by Council Regulation 2195/81) and 79/197/EEC, 50 per cent of eligible expenditure on arterial drainage schemes in the Western and cross-Border regions respectively, up to a total grant limit of £18 million could be recouped from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund during the period of the measures. The schemes which benefited were the Corrib-Mask-Robe, Boyle, Bonet and Blackwater (Monaghan).
In addition, grants amounting to 30 per cent of eligible expenditure from 1 April, 1979 on the Boyne and Maigue schemes which have now been completed were recoverable from the European Regional Development Fund. A total of almost £28 million has been received from these funds.
As the respective measures have now expired, no further grants for arterial drainage are payable at this time. However, applications for further aid are under consideration.
74.
asked the Minister for Finance the total acreage involved in the proposed Suir River arterial drainage scheme for County Tipperary and other counties; the total length of the Suir River; the length of the major tributaries that would be drained in any arterial drainage scheme; and the length of the minor tributaries and other streams involved in any arterial drainage of the catchment area.
Pending the completion of a design, cost/benefit analysis and environmental impact study of a scheme for the Suir catchment area it is not possible to say with any certainty, the area of land likely to benefit from, or the length of channel to be included in, the scheme. However, at this stage it is estimated that up to approximately 76,000 acres of damaged land could benefit from works on some or all of the 1,150 miles of channels originally surveyed.