asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that there is general dissatisfaction amongst applicants under the land reclamation scheme in the electoral division of Sligo because applications are apparently not being dealt with in order of receipt; and, if so, if he will take steps to ensure that there will be no cause for complaint in this regard in future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Reclamation Scheme (County Sligo).
Mr. Walsh
I am not aware that the position is as represented by the Deputy in the first part of the question. The second part does not therefore arise.
Did the Minister make any inquiries at the local office that such was the case, that there were no complaints?
Mr. Walsh
Yes, there has been no report from Sligo, from the Sligo rural district.
Is the Minister aware that I offered him a complaint within the past ten days of a case where one man was waiting two years?
Mr. Walsh
That may be so. He might be waiting three years for the Deputy.
Is that not undue delay?
This is County Sligo—Sligo rural district?
Yes.
Mr. Walsh
There is one unit of machinery working in County Sligo.
One unit. Is that going to do eight or nine thousand acres of land there? Did I understand the Minister to say that he had received no complaint of delay from County Sligo?
The electoral division of Sligo.
Yes. Does he not consider that delay of two years could with propriety be described as undue delay, or does he consider over two years undue delay?
Mr. Walsh
That may be but when the Deputy was introducing his scheme he said ten years, if my recollection is right. It was a scheme for ten years.
Right.
Mr. Walsh
You visualised, then, somebody waiting for ten years?
No.
It was the Deputy, then, who introduced it?
Mr. Walsh
At the rate the Deputy did the work it would be 25 years.
No wonder the Taoiseach should frown.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the number of applications received for grants under the land rehabilitation scheme in West Cork, indicating the number which were (a) approved, (b) carried out, (c) paid and (d) unpaid.
Mr. Walsh
I would refer the Deputy to the reply given to Deputy Burke on 30th July last regarding the compilation of special statistical data in connection with the land reclamation scheme.