With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 310 and 311 together.
The Commissioners of Public Works could deal with flooding of the Flesk River only by means of a comprehensive scheme under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, for the Laune catchment as a whole. The Laune catchment is included in the priority list on which the national arterial drainage programme is based but it would not be possible at this stage to say when a drainage scheme for it might be undertaken.
The Commissioners have no function in the matter of payment of compensation for damage caused by the flooding referred to.