asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is now in a position to state the amount of compensation which will be paid to Mrs. O'Neill, Hurler's Cross, Clonmoney, County Clare, in consequence of her house and shop being taken over and transferred to the Minister.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Transfer of Premises.
I would refer the Deputy to the reply given in Dáil Éireann on the 15th November, 1950, to his question on this subject. The facts then available did not show that Mrs. O'Neill had suffered loss through any action of my Department. That is still the position.
Is the Minister not aware that this woman's house and shop were taken over by the State, and that no compensation has been paid to the woman? Is he aware that that fact was admitted by the Parliamentary Secretary on the 15th November last?
The Parliamentary Secretary did not admit that the lady's house and shop were taken over by the State or by my Department. They were not.
May I refer the Minister to Volume 123, No. 5 of the Dáil debates for the 15th November, 1950, where at col. 867 Deputy Cosgrave, the Parliamentary Secretary, is reported as saying:
"Subsequently it transpired that the Land Registry had misread the acquisition map and had transferred the cottage to the Minister."
That was due to an error in the misreading of the map, but the cottage was never taken over or acquired, or the shop. The Deputy, I think, misunderstood the Parliamentary Secretary's reply. It was transferred on paper, if you like, but the house was never acquired by the Department.
Was not the lady told that the house had been acquired and that she was to get out?
That allegation, which is made by the lady and her brother, is disputed. The fact of the matter is that the property was never acquired by my Department, and therefore compensation could not be paid.
I am afraid the Minister is taking advantage of a technicality. This woman was informed, and was visited on two occasions by an officer of the State, and given notice to clear out of her premises. That cannot be denied.
I can state most emphatically — I have gone into the matter very carefully—that at no time was the lady informed by an officer of my Department that the property was to be acquired, and at no time was the property either acquired or taken over by my Department or by any other Department.