Vol. 519 No. 5
147 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Finance if he will ascertain from the Office of Public Works the observations and comments that were made by Mayo County Council on the report by consulting engineers on a flooding problem (details supplied) in County Mayo; the current position on the resolution of the flooding; and when funding will be made available for this work. [14165/00]
The consulting engineers commissioned by the Office of Public Works to examine the flooding at the location mentioned in County Mayo have outlined options for dealing with some of the problems in their draft preliminary report, which also included a cost estimate for the work. While Mayo County Council agrees in principle with the proposal and has requested that the Office of Public Works undertakes to implement and fund the project, it considers the cost estimate provided by the consultants to be on the low side and has requested further technical discussions. The council's comments have been forwarded to the consultants for their consideration and I understand such discussions at engineering level will be arranged in the near future.
The consultants' preliminary report also highlighted the necessity for a number of additional surveys – ecological, topographical, hydrological model studies – to be undertaken prior to the formulation of definitive proposals and the advancement of recommendations for any works. In view of the presence of an SAC at this site a full environmental impact assessment, which can take up to one year to complete, will also be required.
However, pending the outcome of the aforementioned discussions, which may impact on the economic viability of the entire scheme proposals, it is not possible to progress such surveys at this time or to give any commitments as to when the scheme, if any, might proceed. The question of providing funding for the works stage of the scheme does not arise at this stage.
