Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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891. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if local authorities have the right to carry out drainage works and other safety measures on rivers where these works were previously carried out by drainage boards which have since been dissolved; if all the powers of the drainage boards have been transferred to the local authorities in respect of carrying out works and entering lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11721/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The functions of 13 joint drainage committees were transferred to local authorities by order under section 231(1) of the Local Government Act 2001 with effect from I January 2003 and a further 7 of these committees were transferred by order from 1 January 2015. From these dates the functions of these committees have vested in each of the local authorities that formed the committee in respect of that part of the drainage district that was within each of their administrative areas.

The drainage functions that were formerly performed by the joint drainage committees are now performed by the individual local authorities, subject to any alternative joint arrangements that may be made by the authorities. Accordingly, any powers that were available to joint drainage committees to enable them to carry out necessary drainage works are available to local authorities as successors to the joint drainage committees.