Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 Nov 2000

Vol. 526 No. 6

Written Answers. - Flood Relief.

Austin Currie

Ceist:

225 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of the fact that the Office of Public Works has primary responsibility for devising and implementing flood relief measures according to the Department of the Environment and Local Government, he will give the reason the Office of Public Works did nothing to prevent flooding at Lucan, County Dublin after the River Griffeen burst its banks in 1993 and, further to Parliamentary Question No. 224 of 21 November 2000, the proposals he has following the worst ever recent flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27449/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Cullen)

The powers of the Commissioners of Public Works to divide and implement drainage works are derived from the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, which empowers the Office of Public Works to carry out drainage works by way of comprehensive arterial drainage schemes for entire river catchment areas and the Arterial Drainage (Amendment) Act, 1995, which also gives the additional powers necessary to carry out drainage works for the alleviation of localised flooding problems in areas. The local authorities also have functions in relation to the alleviation of flooding within their jurisdictional areas under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, 1949.

At the time that the River Griffeen, which is situated in the Liffey River catchment, burst its banks in 1993, the powers of the Commissioners of Public Works were derived from the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, which related to implementation of comprehensive arterial drainage schemes for entire river catchment areas only. Accordingly, the commissioners were statutorily precluded from dealing on a piecemeal basis with individual flooding problems on the River Griffeen ahead of a comprehensive scheme for the entire Liffey catchment.