Since Dáil Éireann first met, Deputies from Sligo have constantly and regularly raised in the House the issue of the arterial drainage of the Owenmore and Arrow catchment area. Invariably there was a lot of sympathy by way of response, and invariably, there was nothing else. The flooding continues, it gets higher and it gets wider every year. Some 29,000 acres of land are subject to this flooding. To put that in context, the Owenmore and Arrow floods affect one-fifteenth of the entire land area of County Sligo.
A total of 3,000 farmers are directly affected, small farmers mostly, with an average of 42 acres. Their losses are substantial. These are the facts. They are well documented. They are not disputed. Now the farmers want to know will something finally be done about it, or will they be abandoned to the flood waters. There is a feeling among them that after all the long years of pleading with successive Governments, my own included, this is crunch time — drainage or no drainage.
The Government are running out of excuses. The Owenmore and Arrow are now top of the list. The Office of Public Works never had less arterial drainage work on hand. The nearby Boyle and Bonet work is virtually completed. The dredgers can be moved the short distance to the Owenmore and Arrow. The existing works headquarters in Ballaghaderreen would be ideally placed for the new catchment area.
What will the Minister do for the people of the Owenmore and Arrow? Is there anything to prevent starting work there immediately? Is the money available? In a word, can the Minister say on what date the dredgers will move in? If he is in position to give a definite answer to that question, then, Thursday 30 January 1992, will, go down in history for two reasons — the day the Taoiseach, Deputy Haughey, announced his resignation, and the day the Owenmore and Arrow got its drainage — in reverse order, of course, as far as 3,000 farmers in Sligo are concerned.
