asked the Minister for Finance if he will allocate funds to enable improvement works to be carried out to alleviate persistent flooding from the River Blackwater in Mallow and Fermoy, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, drainage works to relieve flooding in Mallow and Fermoy, caused by the Blackwater, could be undertaken only in the context of a comprehensive drainge scheme for the entire river catchment area. It is not possible at this stage to say when such a scheme might be reached.

I do not accept the Minister's reply. We have had this sort of answer over the last number of years. The Minister must be aware of the persistent flooding that takes place in those two towns——

A question.

——and of the hardship imposed on traders and business people. I disagree that it would take a comprehensive drainage programme to alleviate the problem. If there were more bridges it would overcome the problem. Will the Minister ask his Department to reinvestigate this? I am convinced that that would help both towns in the event of high floods.

I thank Deputy O'Keeffe for his suggestion. However, as the Deputy is probably aware, the Arterial Drainage Act does not cater for piecemeal drainage works for the relief of any particular area in a catchment. The Arterial Drainge Act involves the comprehensive drainage of an entire catchment. Local works of this kind would more likely be the responsibility of the local authority, in this case, Cork County Council.

I put down that question to the Minister for the Environment and the Ceann Comhairle's office transferred it to the Minister for Finance. I was aware——

I do not——

I was aware that we would have difficulties at Question Time because of this and the Minister has made——

The Deputy had better stop and listen for a minute. My office is not in the business of transferring questions.

It was the Ceann Comhairle's office that wrote to me.

I will take all the different questions.

Can the question be transferred to the Department of the Environment for answer?

The question would need to be redrafted in order to achieve that desirable result.