asked the Minister for Finance if he has any proposals for the drainage of the Moveen River, County Clare.

While the need for drainage in smaller catchments is appreciated, the best use can be made of available resources and the national drainage problem more quickly resolved by concentrating on the catchments included in the settled priority lists which have been upheld by successive Governments.

The Moveen catchment is not included in the priority lists. I regret, therefore, that I cannot say when this catchment may be reached in the arterial drainage programme.