asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the reasons why the Land Commission by-passed the tenants of Toormore East, Ballyvary, County Mayo, in dealing with the congestion problem in that area, although the local officials are aware that many of these tenants are ready and willing to exchange holdings or migrate.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Congestion in County Mayo.
asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware that acute congestion exists in Toormore East, Ballyvary, County Mayo, and that, while the Land Commission have dealt with the people on each side of Toormore East, they have made no effort to deal with these tenants; and, if so, if the tenants from Toormore East will be dealt with by the Land Commission forthwith.
asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware that it is necessary to migrate six tenants from Toormore East, Ballyvary, County Mayo, in order to rearrange and provide economic holdings for the remainder; and, if so, if the Land Commission will take steps to have six tenants migrated from this village.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to deal with Questions Nos. 21, 22 and 23 together.
In 1933, 12 holdings in Toormore East and Toormore West were rearranged, enlarged and generally improved. Though it is conceded that conditions on both Toormore East and Toormore West could be still further improved by migration of some of the tenants and division of the vacated holdings, it must be borne in mind that to take migrants from here would mean the rejection of migrant-applicants from other congested estates on which no land settlement work has been done. Inquiries are, however, being made as to the possibility of further migration from the area.
Would the Minister accept it from me that the position of congestion, particularly in Toormore East, has been extremely bad, and will he endeavour personally to see that some of these people get a chance of migration now under the present scheme that is being worked out?
I shall have the matter further reconsidered to know whether anything can be done earlier than has been anticipated.
Would the Minister say if he has given any instructions to the Land Commission on similar subjects to this where the Land Commission in my opinion are definitely trying to dodge their responsibility, and simply because villages may have been dealt with before they are not inclined to take them up again? Did the Minister, since I raised this matter before in the House, do anything about such villages as the one described in the question?
The Deputy knows that there are about 12,000 holdings in the West of Ireland that demand rearrangement and he knows that the number of migrants that we can take out of the West does not even go into hundreds, therefore, obviously some of those 12,000 people will have to wait not alone for this season but for several seasons——
They will not have to wait long now.
——until they can be dealt with. The Deputy, when he was Minister, was not able to advance migration any further. It has gone up since he left off.
If the Minister thinks that, nobody else believes it. He must be soft in the head.
A certain programme of rearrangement has been laid down by me in conference with the inspectorate and they have been working on that since I came into office. If Deputies can suggest to me how the matter can be improved, I shall be very glad to have it further examined. I am rather loath, when experienced men in the Land Commission who have been dealing with these problems all their lives tell me that a certain thing can or cannot be done, not to be guided by their advice.
Would the Minister consider informing the House why the present Government does not intend to proceed with the relief of congestion?
The next migration that will take place will be from this House.
asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware that a holding of land at Roscahill, Kilmeena, West-port, County Mayo, the property of Mrs. Teresa McGowan, has been advertised for sale by private treaty and that this holding is badly needed for the relief of local congestion; and, if so, if the Land Commission will take steps to have the holding acquired forthwith.
The Land Commission have decided to take no action towards the acquisition of these lands. The holding has an area of only eight acres.
Would the Minister say why the holding should not be acquired merely because it has an area of only eight acres? These eight acres could be very valuable.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the number of migrants' holdings available this year for congested tenants in South Mayo.
It is not yet possible to say how many of this year's migrants' holdings will be allocated to tenants from a particular region. The best estimate I can make is that up to 20 holdings in the East will be offered to possible migrants from the entire County Mayo.
Did the Minister say 20?
Yes.
But not from Donegal.
You only moved two when you were there.
I should be very happy to migrate tenants from Donegal but up to the present my experience is that it is extremely difficult to get the Donegal people to migrate to other areas.
There is none left. They are all in Scotland.