asked the Minister for Lands if, for the convenience of all the local applicants and to avoid confusion, he will arrange that an inspector of his Department will point out to the tenants their turf banks on the Rathlumber bog on the Esmond estate, Rathlumber, Edenderry, County Offaly, as the tenants are confused by the Land Commission's instructions, and if the persons concerned were notified to be on the bog to see their turbary pointed out it would meet with general satisfaction.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Allotments on Rathlumber (Offaly) Bog.
The allotments on this estate were made as recently as March, 1952, after the bog had been lockspitted in the usual way and the boundaries pointed out to the allottees. It is not proposed to point out the boundaries a second time but if any allottee is in doubt as to the boundariesof his plot it is open to him to obtain a copy map of his allotment.
The Minister is quite right when he states that the turf banks on this bog were pointed out as late as March last. Is the Minister aware that the officer of the Land Commission marked each man's name and number on a peg which was then stuck in the ground? It is alleged that people in the district changed those pegs with the result that the people who were to get good turf banks are now getting bad ones. The alleged changing of the pegs was done without the consent of the Land Commission. In view of the alleged alteration of the pegs, would the Minister be prepared to send an officer to meet the local allottees on the bog in order to straighten out the confusion?
I do not seem to have received representations from the persons concerned. If I receive representations I will have the matter considered. Of course, we cannot afford to send Land Commission inspectors or surveyors every time somebody changes a peg. Perhaps the ingenious mind of the Deputy might be able to devise some method of dealing with the matter locally.
Did I hear the Minister say in the course of his reply that the particular bog was lockspitted?
Yes.
That is not in keeping with Deputy Flanagan's remark.
Deputy Flanagan admitted that the allegation in his question was without foundation. He suggested that the allottees had not been shown their plots.
They tell me they were not.