asked the Minister for Lands whether he will state if the Land Commission contemplate acquiring or have already made arrangements to acquire the lands of Newbarn estate, Kilsallaghan.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Acquisition and Division of Land.
The proceedings in respect of these lands are in the early stages and it is too early yet to indicate whether or not lands will become available for distribution.
asked the Minister for Lands whether he is aware that there has been agitation for the past 23 years for the division of the lands of Mrs. O'Brien on the Dooley estate, Mountbriscoe, Daingean; and, if so, whether he will state what progress has been made by the Land Commission with a view to its division amongst the people who are tenants on this estate and who are all uneconomic holders.
The Land Commission have no proceedings for the acquisition of these lands.
Will the Minister say if it is the intention of the Land Commission to institute proceedings for the acquisition of these lands?
The Deputy's representations have been brought to the notice of the Land Commission.
Would the Minister undertake to have these lands inspected at an early date, so that a report will be available for his guidance?
Very good.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will state what progress has been made by the Land Commission in connection with the acquisition of the Comyn and Raftery estate at Miltown, County Roscommon.
These cases are still in their initial stage and decisions have not yet been reached.
Would the Minister state whether any action has been taken to inspect these lands in regard to their suitability for afforestation purposes?
Not for afforestation purposes, but for acquisition for Land Commission purposes.
If it is found that these lands are unsuitable for division, would the Minister have them inspected for suitability in regard to afforestation?
Yes, certainly.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will state what progress has been made by the Land Commission in connection with the acquisition of the Levinge estate, Newpark, Kiltoom, County Roscommon; and when a scheme for the division of this land will be prepared.
A decision has not yet been reached in this case.
Is it possible that a decision will be reached in the near future? This farm has been inspected for some time, I understand, and I believe there is no hold-up as far as the Levinge family is concerned.
As a matter of fact, the case will be submitted to the commissioners to decide whether they require it or not, inside the next two or three weeks.
asked the Minister for Lands whether it is now the intention of the Land Commission to acquire for the relief of congestion the lands of Mr. Martin Thomas Keane and Mrs. Mary Keane, of Montiagh, Charlestown, on the Knox estate, County Sligo.
The Land Commission have decided not to resume these lands.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will state when he proposes to have work begun in planting the lands which have been offered to him for forestry purposes in the districts of Beeing and Burnfort, County Cork.
Negotiations are proceeding as quickly as possible for the purchase of these lands, but at this stage no forecast can be made as to when the lands may be acquired.
It is unlikely that they will be available for planting this season.
There is not much information in the Minister's reply. Perhaps he would elaborate on the progress already made in that direction.
The difficulty in this and similar cases where a number of offers from farmers in the one district is concerned is that where the lands are vested the purchase money repayable by way of annuity has to be apportioned as between the lot to be sold and the portion to be retained by the person who offers. That work has to be done by the Land Commission inspectors and is slow, because it entails going over each farmer's land acre by acre, and only in very few cases of recent vesting could older reports about it be relied on and the work of a separate valuation of each holding be avoided. That is what is happening in this case. Twenty-one farmers have offered portions of their holdings to form a suitable forest block and each of the 21 holdings must be gone over acre by acre in order to apportion the amounts fairly and justly.