Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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398. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when construction works will be undertaken in respect of a project (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31106/15]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The drain mentioned by the Deputy is part of the River Maine Catchment Drainage Scheme which was carried by the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. The OPW continues to have a statutory responsibility for the maintenance of this scheme.

Each year the OPW carries out work to approximately 2,000km of channels and about 200 structures around the country as part of its ongoing and rolling arterial drainage maintenance programme. While the average cycle of maintenance is generally in the range 4 to 7 years, the OPW does routinely inspect all channels and structures that it has maintenance responsibility for. Work on this drain is scheduled to take place later this year.