asked the Minister for Local Government when he will sanction the appointment of a consulting engineer by Kildare County Council for the purpose of considering (a) the water extension to Skirteen, Monasterevan, (b) the water scheme for Mullacash-Brannockstown, (c) the water scheme for Longhouse, Ballymore Eustace, (d) the water scheme for Hartwell, Kill and (e) the water scheme for Mullantine and Tullylost, Rathangan, in all of which cases approval was sought on 4th December, 1967.

4.

asked the Minister for Local Government when he will sanction the appointment of a consulting engineer, for which approval was sought on 5th February, 1968, for the water extension to Scrawtown, Prosperous, County Kildare.

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.

Kildare County Council's proposals for the appointment of a consulting engineer to prepare preliminary reports for water supply schemes for the areas referred to by the Deputy are still under consideration in my Department.

I am not in a position to say when a decision thereon is likely to issue.

Are these part of the schemes the Minister suggested yesterday he was sending back for priority decision?

No. These have not been designed at all yet.

It is only after the design stage he is sending them back for priority?

Yes.

(Clare): Is the Minister aware that representations were made to the Department as far back as October, 1967, in connection with these schemes?

I do not dispute that. I have no information as to whether or not there were representations.

(Clare): For the Minister's information, they are being considered since October, 1967. It is a long time for consideration.

That may be, but the request from the local authority for the appointment of a consulting engineer was only received in December, 1967.

(Clare): The urban district council passed a resolution calling the Minister's attention to the fact that they had been a long time in contemplation in the Minister's Department—since October, 1967.

For Kildare?

In view of the statement the Minister made just now, would he say if it is a fact that counties which have submitted their list of priorities will be held up until a national decision is taken on finance?

Not necessarily. It will be possible to allow some of them through.

Can the Minister say why he cannot deal urgently with the appointment of a consulting engineer? I quite understand there may be difficulties in examining a scheme, but surely it would take only a matter of five minutes to decide whether or not it is proper to appoint a consulting engineer? Surely that is all it would take the local authority's officials to do it?

In one case we are awaiting a report on the scheme from the county engineer, as provided for in Circular 8/1959.

The Minister is awaiting——

No; we have got it. We were waiting for it. We are not waiting for it any longer.

Surely it ought to be possible for the Department or the local authority to decide whether a consultant is necessary? That should not take very long to decide.

We will, I think, probably agree that a consultant will be necessary. The number of schemes already prepared will, I think, be of some relevance. The urgency of these particular schemes taken in the context of those already prepared will be a relevant factor.

The Minister appreciates that a consulting engineer will take a long time to draw up plans. In the case of Scrawtown, Prosperous, the people were promised they would have this water a year ago. In fact, there was, I think, some commitment in relation to Scrawtown, Prosperous, at the time when Deputy Boylan was first getting into this House.

That scheme is not, in fact, included in the list of priorities Kildare have submitted.

(Clare): Would the Minister indicate the date on which the scheme was considered?

It is in the present list issued to the county council last week.

It is not in the list submitted to my Department.

I will send the Minister the copy. The papers went up to him on 5th February.

It is not in the list submitted to my Department.

It was on 5th February, as I stated in my question.

Yes. We received the county engineer's report but it is not in the priority list we received from Kildare County Council. Scrawtown, Prosperous, does not appear, but the other ones do.

The Minister said a moment ago that schemes could not appear on the priority list until an engineer had been appointed and had designed them. The Minister cannot be right both ways.

It is not in the priority list; the other ones are.

5.

asked the Minister for Local Government when he will approve the documents sent to him on 2nd February, 1968 for the water supply for Newtown, Rathangan, County Kildare.

Kildare County Council's proposal for a water supply extension to Newtown, Rathangan, is at present under consideration in my Department. I am not in a position to say when a decision thereon is likely to issue.

6.

asked the Minister for Local Government when he will sanction the preliminary report for category 2 water extensions sent to his Department by Kildare County Council on 3rd November 1967.

I have already sanctioned Kildare County Council's proposal to lay an advance section of this scheme to ensure an adequate supply of water to Newbridge. I expect to be in a position to convey a decision in relation to the preliminary report for stage 1 of the overall scheme shortly.

7.

asked the Minister for Local Government when he proposes to approve the preliminary report and estimates for Leixlip sewerage extensions, County Kildare, which were sent to him on 3rd January 1968.

On 27th March, 1968, I asked Kildare County Council to submit certain additional technical data to enable their proposals for the Leixlip sewerage extensions to receive consideration. This is awaited.

There seems to be some very bad lack of contact between the Minister's Department and the county council because I have again a report here presented to the council at the last meeting which says the council are awaiting the Department's decision and not that the Minister is waiting for anything from the council.

On 27th March, 1968, they were asked to submit additional data and we have not got them yet.

It seems extraordinary.

8.

asked the Minister for Local Government when he will sanction the contract documents for Ballytore sewerage scheme, County Kildare, which were sent to him for approval on 3rd January, 1968.

I expect to be in a position to convey a decision on the contract documents for this scheme shortly.

9.

asked the Minister for Local Government when he will sanction the acceptance of the tender by Kildare County Council for Ballyfarsoon and Old Grange, Monasterevan, sewerage scheme, which was sent to him for sanction on 29th February, 1968.

The tender for Bally-farsoon and Old Grange, Monasterevan, sewerage scheme was sanctioned by me on 19th April last.