asked the Minister for Lands whether he is aware that the Carton estate, situated at Maynooth, the property of the Duke of Leinster, has recently been sold to a nonnational combine; and, if so, whether the Land Commission will take immediate steps to acquire this estate for the purpose of creating economic holdings for deserving Irish nationals.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sale of Maynooth Estate.
asked the Minister for Lands whether he is aware that the estate of the Duke of Leinster, containing approximately 1,000 acres, situated at Maynooth, County Kildare, has been sold recently to Lord Brocket of Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire, England; and, if so, whether the Land Commission will take immediate steps to have this estate acquired and Irish nationals from congested areas settled there.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take together Questions Nos. 6 and 7. I have asked the commissioners to inquire into this case.
May I ask the Minister whether he has any information as to whether this land would be suitable for division and whether I am correct in assuming that there is only a small portion of it arable?
A previous survey of these lands revealed that the acreage is about 1,000 and that, I think, 30 acres out of the 1,000 could be tilled. If the survey to be undertaken in the near future reveals the same position, it is quite obvious that we are not going to take over land that is useless for the purpose of relieving congestion.
Can the Minister state when he will be in a position to give us the Land Commissioners' decision in this matter?
I cannot give the exact date.
The Minister does not think that he can convince the people in this House that out of 1,000 acres around Maynooth only 30 acres are arable.
Would the Minister say who is humbugging whom on these questions?
I was not on the land myself, and all the information I have, is the information furnished by the Department. That report is, as I said, about ten years old. There has been a fresh survey and the details have not come in, but I will give them when I have them.