asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) whether his Department secured possession and paid full compensation due in respect of land at Dublin airport owned by certain persons; (b) whether these persons informed his Department that they were interested in the letting of these lands; (c) whether his Department gave them an opportunity to offer an acceptable rent for the letting; (d) the names of the persons to whom these lands were let and the letting price per acre and period of letting; (e) the number of acres concerned and the purposes to which the land will be devoted, and (f) the reason why the original owners were not afforded the opportunity to make an offer for the letting.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Airport Lands.
Additional lands adjoining the Dublin airport to the extent of about 285 acres have been acquired or are in course of being acquired under the Air Navigation and Transport Acts. The acquisition of 133 acres has been completed, full compensation has been paid in respect of this portion and possession has been taken of the lands. No invitations were issued to the former owners to make offers for lettings, but some of them informed me that they would be interested in obtaining temporary lettings of their former holdings and some offers were made.
In considering how the lands could be let to the best advantage, I took account of the fact that a companyengaged in the production of dried grass for animal feeding was already under contract to maintain the flying field by growing grass crops there and have been given a letting of other lands outside the boundary of the airfield which were acquired some years ago. It seemed to me that the most satisfactory arrangement to make would be to let the additional lands recently acquired to this company, and such letting at £7 per acre has been made for the 11 months ending on the 30th November, 1953. It is a condition of the arrangement that any further lands which are finally acquired and come into my possession before the 30th November, 1953, will be included in the letting. I am satisfied that the rent payable is a fair one and it is, in fact, higher than any offer made from any other source.
Can the Minister say whether the persons who previously owned this land were given an opportunity to offer a price better than £7 per acre? £7 per acre for tillage land, the best land in County Dublin!
The offers which were made were £5 and £6 per acre.
The previous owners?
Yes.
Does that refer to the 133 acres to which the Minister referred earlier in his reply?
It refers to the lands which those owners previously occupied, before they sold them.