asked the Minister for Lands and Agriculture if he will state whether the Land Commission have acquired that portion of the estate of Marcus Keane, comprising Scattery Island, situate in River Shannon, opposite the town of Kilrush; whether he is aware that the Clare County Council have in effect by unanimous resolution requested the Congested Districts Board to construct the following works on Scattery Island, which the County Surveyor of said Council has reported to be absolutely necessary—viz.: (a) a proper sea wall to prevent coast erosion at Scattery Island, and thereby safeguard the homes of the islanders, and also the National School buildings on that island; (b) a proper pathway for use of children of inhabitants of island in attending said school; whether it is not the duty and the practice of the Land Commission, having acquired an estate for sale to the tenants, to execute such works as are necessary to safeguard the holdings of purchasing tenants on an estate and thereby enable tenant purchasers to properly work their holdings and pay their respective annuities for advances made by the State to purchase said holdings; whether a sum of £4,000 being required to execute said works on the island, per estimate of said County Surveyor, the Land Commission will in the special circumstances of hardship affecting the islanders, construct the said works on Scattery Island, the cost of such works being absolutely impossible to be undertaken by the County Council.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. [ORAL ANSWERS.] - WORKS ON SCATTERY ISLAND.
The lands referred to, comprising some 168 acres in the occupation of 14 tenants, were purchased from the owner by the (late) Congested Districts Board. The tenants requested the Board to erect a concrete sea wall along the east shore of the island for a distance of some 1,200 yards, but the Board did not feel justified in incurring any expenditure thereon. It was estimated at the time that the cost of such a work would cost more than three times the purchase money of the property. The Land Commission is not therefore prepared to undertake the work.