Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I agree with Deputy Ring's basic premise. I can never understand roads being tarred without pipes being put in first. Double-axled trucks can destroy hand-dug drains in five minutes. People who want to return to shovels and spades do not understand the ability of modern trucks to sweep aside all before them. The answer is gully traps and pipes which is allowed under the present scheme. Putting in gully traps and pipes when a road is built and surfacing the road afterwards has proven successful. However, many people complain because they do not see the results of the work immediately. This is a priority.

In regard to the flooding in certain areas of south County Mayo and east County Galway and the wider drainage issues raised by the Deputy, it is not merely a case of road drainage. However, I am willing to investigate these issues.

At my request, the Department asked local authorities to set out their priorities in respect of CLÁR funding next year in terms of water, sewerage and group water schemes and tertiary roads. The Deputy will be happy to know funding is not being cut. However, it is important that we receive feedback from local authorities because I am willing to reduce funding for schemes that have served their purpose while increasing funding for other schemes. This is the year of the group water scheme. We have approved connections for some 3,500 households, affecting approximately 10,000 people who otherwise would never have had a piped water connection. That is a significant development for rural Ireland. The Deputy's own county has benefited hugely, as have counties Donegal and Clare. We are considering ways of focusing the funding and I will pay heed to suggestions on new priorities. However, it is also important that local authorities highlight the issues they consider important.

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