asked the Minister for Lands if he will state what progress has been made by the Land Commission towards the acquisition of the lands in the Collins estate at Carrowculleen, Record No. S.6697, County Galway.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Acquisition and Division.
Proceedings have been instituted for the acquisition of this estate but it is not possible to state whether or when the lands will be acquired.
May I ask the Minister if the price has been fixed on those lands?
An offer has been made which is open to appeal by the owner.
Am I correct in stating that a price of £1,750 has been fixed in default of agreement?
That is true, but that is no indication that the lands will be acquired finally because the owner has the right of appeal to the appeal tribunal on the question of price.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will state what progress has been made by the Land Commission towards the acquisition of lands on the Blake estate at Corbally, N., Record No. S.9957.
Proceedings have been instituted for the acquisition of these lands but it is too early yet to state what the outcome will be.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will state what progress has been made towards the acquisition of the Satchwell lands at Creggs, County Galway, and when notice will be published in Iris Oifigiúil; and, further, if he will state the cause of the delay in this case.
The Land Commission have considered the question of the acquisition of these lands, but have not taken a final decision. There has been no avoidable delay.
Is the Minister aware that these lands have been the subject of questions submitted by me for quite a long time, and the reply given to-day seems to be the same type of reply as I got the first day? Are there any steps being taken with regard to these lands in view of the promises the Minister made?
Is the Minister aware that the Deputy who is asking this question has publicly stated outside this House that these lands should not be taken from this man because he is a good worker of them?
I challenge the Deputy to produce any evidence of that other than false statements made by members of that Government over there.
Does the Deputy not remember making that statement?
You cannot get away with that all the time; lies are lies.
asked the Minister for Lands whether the Land Commission have considered the propriety in the allotment of land in County Dublin, of giving priority to conacre farmers and landless men in the area; and, if so, with what result.
In reply to a question on 10th March, 1948, I indicated the order in which applicants for land are considered to have the strongest claims to allotments. That order has not been changed.
asked the Minister for Lands if he is now in a position to state when the untenanted lands at Cloonkeen, Deering estate, County Galway, will be divided so as to give an opportunity to the allottees to arrange their tillage for the coming spring.
I have already informed the Deputy that these lands are intended for use in connection with a scheme for the rearrangement of holdings in the area. A suitable scheme cannot be prepared until more land is made available by the resumption of other holdings in Cappagh and Cloonkeen.
Is the Minister aware that I have submitted questions about these lands for a long time? They have been let in conacre year after year. There was criticism levelled against Fianna Fáil in respect of these lands and this policy has been allowed to continue in spite of the promises of the Minister and his Party to have lands such as these divided. What is the intention of the Land Commission? Is it to continue letting the land to outsiders and not even to the people in the locality?
Regardless of the number of questions put down by a Deputy the Land Commission have very strict instructions not to rearrange a village until the rearrangement will be fairly satisfactory. If the Land Commission were to follow a Deputy's advice on the question it would do only half the job in a particular townland and in that case they would hear from me.
asked the Minister for Lands whether the Land Commission have considered the propriety of acquiring the estate of the representatives of Patrick Donlon, deceased, lands of Patch, Kilkeerin, County Galway, Record No. U. 13820, in view of the dire congestion in the locality and of the eventuality that these lands may be sold if not acquired for division; and, if so, with what result.
The Land Commission have decided not to take any action for the present for the acquisition of these lands.
Will the Minister state if the Land Commission have sanctioned the sale of these lands, or have been asked to sanction it?
I understand these are vested lands, and in that case the owner does not need to have the permission of anybody to sell them if he wants to. It is different with unvested land.
asked the Minister for Lands if the Land Commission have considered the propriety of acquiring for division among small holders and landless men, the lands of the O'Halloran Estate, Lurgo, Killenaule, in view of the owner's offer to sell the lands to the commission at a reasonable price; and, if so, what was the result of such consideration.
The Land Commission decided not to acquire the lands.
Can the Minister give any reason to the House why in this case the Land Commission does not proceed with the acquisition or accept the owner's offer, especially in view of the fact that in July when the lands were about to be sold by public auction the Land Commission served a notice which unquestionably spoiled the sale?
I do not agree that the Land Commission have the power, and I would not like to hear that they had the power, to prevent free sale. They have no authority to do so, no authority by law. It is open to them to examine the land for suitability and presumably these lands did not suit. If the Deputy knows these lands he will admit they are not an attractive proposition for the purpose of relieving congestion.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will state (a) when the Griffen estate at Castlelake, Knockroe, Golden, will be divided; (b) the date on which these lands were taken over by the Land Commission; (c) the price paid to the Reps. of the late George Griffen for the lands, and (d) the amount realised by way of sale of grazing and conacre since the date on which the lands were taken over by the commission.
It is expected that a scheme for the allotment of these lands will be operated early next year. The lands comprised the untenanted estate and the tenanted holding of the Reps. George Griffin. The former was acquired on 5th January, 1949, and the latter was resumed on 25th July, 1949.
It is not desirable or customary to make public the prices which vendors receive for property purchased in this manner.
The net revenue from the lands amounts to approximately £650 for the years 1949 and 1950.
Can the Minister not say if the lands were let by the Irish Land Commission in 1947 and 1948?
No.
I think the Minister is misinformed on that.
It is possible but very improbable that I am misinformed. My information is that the lands were not acquired until the dates mentioned. It is not the custom of the Land Commission to go round letting other people's lands and raking off a rent on lands which do not belong to them.