asked the Minister for Lands whether it is now possible to state what decision the Land Commission have come to with regard to the Anderson estate, Timahoe, County Laoighis.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Anderson Estate, Laoighis.
Mr. O'Higgins
The Land Commission have not yet reached a decision in this matter.
Does the Minister remember telling me in the first week in December that the papers concerning this estate were in the hands of the local inspector for two months? Is he aware that this estate was taken over by a group of three speculators early last year and that they undertook, at the termination of the temporary tenancy period, which is to-day, to hand over this place to the Land Commission and will he expedite the proceedings? Surely it is not necessary for a Land Commission inspector to have the papers in his possession for six months without making a report.
The matter has not been neglected. The Deputy speaks as if the Land Commission inspector had no other work in his constituency except this particular estate. May I remind him that the inspector is engaged at present on preparing schemes for quite a large area of land in the neighbourhood? Is he to give up that work to attend to this Anderson estate? The inspectors are mainly occupied at this time of the year on resale schemes in order to try to complete as many of these as are so far advanced before the spring period, I am hopeful that the work will be completed fairly early and as soon as the work which he has in hands is completed, the inspector intends to take up this estate.
Is the Minister aware that the two inspectors have been in that area on several occasions recently not for the purpose of preparing division schemes but in connection with other inquiries? There is some dodgery behind this business.
The difficulty is that the inspectors cannot possibly cope with the hundreds of inquiries which are sent in. The Deputy forgets that they have a large amount of routine work and constant inquiry about subdivision and other matters. If I take the inspectors off all the ordinary work which the tenant occupiers want to have attended to, or which they are entitled to have attended to, what is going to happen? Besides, as has been pointed out, there is not the same staff there now as there was before the war.
Is the Minister aware that this is a case where the land has been offered to the Land Commission?