asked the Minister for Finance (a) if he will state the powers conferred on the county surveyor in Meath enabling him to acquire bogs for the purpose of his turf scheme or for sub-letting and the conditions under which such powers are exercised; whether he is aware that (b) in the case of Rathmore Bog, Athboy, County Meath, the county surveyor has exercised the powers vested in him to sub-let without the permission or approval of the turbary owners a number of turf banks; (c) that these turbary owners are in most cases small farmers who derive their livelihood for the most part from cutting and selling turf; (d) that they are not permitted to cut their turf in these bogs until the people to whom the banks are sub-let by the county surveyor have saved a crop of turf, and that (e) it is alleged by the turbary owners that the action taken by the county surveyor in this case amounts almost to the confiscation of their property, and whether he will say if the county surveyor is acting under direction from and with the approval of the Minister's Department in this case.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Acquisition of Meath Bogs.
The powers referred to are those contained in Articles 3 and 6 respectively of Emergency Powers (No. 73) Order, 1941, which were delegated to the county surveyor by the county council in accordance with Section 73 of the Local Government Act, 1925. The owners' permission or approval to the sub-letting by the county surveyor of bogs so acquired is not necessary.
The general position appears to be that last year the county surveyor acquired a large bog, of which the bog mentioned by the Deputy forms part. The turbary owners referred to were not in any way prevented from cutting turf last year and the county surveyor has informed me that no turf bank was or would be sub-let by him where the owner was himself prepared to undertake intensive production. Up to the present the bulk of the turbary owners have taken no steps to arrange the matter with the county surveyor. There are approximately 100 turbary owners involved and sub-lettings were made by the county surveyor to other people in only four cases.
The turbary owners in the Rathmore bog are not generally regarded as persons deriving their livelihood for the most part from the cutting and selling of turf and it is presumed that if they were such persons they would have long since arranged to cut the necessary turf.
Of the four cases where sub-lettings were made, one is proceeding by arrangement with the former owner, the letting in another case has been cancelled, and in the remaining two cases the licences have been withdrawn.
If the turbary owners show the county surveyor that they are willing and anxious to take early steps to cut the turf they will be afforded every facility by him.