asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that the island of Island Eddy, Oranmore, County Galway, is inhabited by seven families, whose total holdings amount in the aggregate to 81 acres 1 rood 9 perches, with foreshore rights to 84 acres 2 roods, and that the valuation on the holdings amounts in the aggregate to the sum of £115 10s., and the valuation of the foreshore rights amounts in the aggregate to £35; if the Minister is further aware that this valuation of the island exceeds the valuation on the best lands in the County Galway, and that the people in the island benefit in no way from the local services, and to ask that steps be taken to have the lands re-valued.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ISLAND EDDY, GALWAY.
SEAN O BRUADAIR
The island of Eddy contains 165a. 3r. 24p., statute measure, valued at £140. There are seven occupiers, and the value of the land is divided amongst them equally at £20. There has been no change made in the total land valuation of the island since the Primary Valuation (Griffith's Valuation), which was issued on the 29th June, 1857, and there is no provision in the Valuation (Ireland) Acts empowering the Commissioner of Valuation to vary the total land valuation of the island as then fixed.
Seeing that there are seven landholders on the island with a valuation of £11 10s., and with strand rights valued at £35, does the Minister think it advisable to introduce legislation to have those lands revalued? I am sure the Minister is aware that the inhabitants of Island Eddy are in a very remote situation and they do not get any benefit from public services.
I promise to consider that matter, but if legislation were introduced to enable land in any particular area to be revalued it would be difficult to resist claims for revaluation in other areas and the cost of a general land revaluation would, probably, be somewhere around one million pounds. For that reason I could not do more than promise the Deputy to look into the matter.
Is the Minister aware that on the West coast and the North-west coast of Ireland there are considerable areas of land that, through coast erosion and other causes, have ceased to be of any use? These lands were——
The Deputy must not make a speech about them now.
I raise this matter mainly because Island Eddy has a just grievance. The people there have very high valuations——
The Deputy is still making a speech.
Is the Minister aware that in many places around the coast the valuation on the islands is considerably higher than the valuation of lands on the mainland, and that the people on the mainland have much better land and greater facilities than the people on the islands?
I am not aware that the situation in many places is as the Deputy has suggested. I have heard the allegation in regard to one or two places.