asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware that there is a vast area of marl pits at Carrowneadin, Killasser, Swinford, and, if so, if he is prepared to make a grant available to make a road into these pits, so that this valuable material may be utilised by the local farmers for increased food production.
- County Mayo Marl Pits.
This question appears to refer to marl pits in Graffy and Toorard. The pit in Graffy is privately owned and appears to be fully developed. The Land Commission would not be prepared to carry out any repairs to the road leading to the pit. I have no definite information as to the pit in Toorard but I will have further inquiries made.
The difficulty here seems to arise from the fact that I gave the name of an adjoining village. As regards the Graffy marl, it is full of agricultural limestone. In connection with the small pits at Toorard may I remind the Minister that the local tenants are very anxious to avail of the marl in those pits because it has been tested by the Department of Agriculture and certified to contain a high percentage of lime? Would the Minister consider the construction of a short road into these pits in order to provide the farmers with a means of taking out the marl from them?
I have told the Deputy I shall have inquiries made. In view of that I think we ought to wait until we find out what the position is.
I hope that will be at an early date.