Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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496. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if necessary works will be carried out on a drain (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26599/16]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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The channel referred to by the Deputy forms part of the River Maine Catchment Drainage Scheme, which falls under the remit of the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the 1945 Arterial Drainage Act.

Each year the OPW carries out work to approximately 2,000km of channels and some 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 of 4 to 7 years, the OPW does routinely inspect all channels and structures for which it has maintenance responsibility.

It is envisaged that maintenance of the channel in question will be included in the 2017 Annual Programme. At present OPW's resources are prioritising the repair to the damaged flood defence embankments on the River Maine scheme.