asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware that the tenants on Doogary Bog, Newport, County Mayo (O'Donel estate) got plots of turbary at Doogary in 1921 and that a rent for them was included in their purchase annuity; if he is further aware that these tenants were given further plots on the same bog six years ago (as their former plots had been cut away) and that a rent of 3/6 per annum was levied on them in respect of the new turbary plots; further, if he is aware that this rent was subsequently increased to 7/- on these tenants and that the Land Commission are now demanding 14/- per annum in respect of the same plots; and in the circumstances if the Minister will state: (a) whether the purchase agreements of the tenants concerned gave them turbary rights on the bog in question; (b) if the tenants did in fact pay for their turbary plots by way of annuity fine or otherwise to the Land Commission, and (c) the statutes or powers of the Land Commission under which the commission increased the rents on these tenants from 3/6 to 14/- per annum.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Turbary Plots.
The tenants on the O'Donel estate were not entitled to free turbary. The late Congested Districts Board allotted them turbaryrights at small annuities of 2/8 (subsequently halved under the Land Act, 1933).
During the emergency, conacre lettings on the remainder of the bog in hands were made to applicants for the season at bog rents of 3/6. As development work on roads and drains proceeded since 1944 conacre lettings continued to be made each season at varying bog rents up to 7/6, the increased rent being intended to meet to some extent the cost of development.
On completion of development work the approved allottees were offered rights of turbary on defined plots at annuities of 14/- which would be subject to a reduction of 50 per cent. under the provisions of the Land Act, 1933. No demand for a bog rent of 14/- was made on any allottee.
In reply to (a) the purchase agreements signed in 1921 provided each tenant with a right of turbary on a defined plot for domestic purposes only; (b) as stated above a small annuity of 2/8 is payable for the turbary allotted in 1921 in each case but is reduced by 50 per cent. under the Land Act, 1933, and (c) the Land Commission is not debarred by statute or otherwise from fixing an equitable payment for turbary.