asked the Minister for Lands if he will have a survey made of Brockagh Hill and Killoughcarron Hill in the Creeslough district with a view to initiating afforestation schemes there.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Forestry Schemes.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will have the districts of Carrigart, Downings and Glen, County Donegal, surveyed with a view to the initiation of afforestation schemes there.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to reply to Question Nos. 53 and 54 together.
All the districts mentioned have been surveyed with a view to obtaining offers of land for forestry purposes. No offer was, however, received which would afford any prospect of building up the nucleus of a forest centre in any of these areas.
Could the Minister state, first, when the survey was carried out and, secondly, whether or not the Brockagh Hill and Killoughcarron Hill mentioned in Question No. 53 are, in fact, in possession of the Land Commission and that these people are only tenants? Will the Minister state whose permission is required to go ahead?
A survey was carried out fairly recently and the position is that in Brockagh Hill no land was offered; in Killoughcarron Hill no land was offered; in Carrigart, no land was offered. The nearest offer to Carrigart is 159 acres, 80 acres of which lie near Mulroy House. In Downings, there was no offer. In Glen, the nearest offer was one of 64 acres in the townland of Cashel, which was rejected as unsuitable. In connection with another small offer in that locality, negotiations will be opened as to price——
My information is that the hills mentioned in Question No. 53 are occupied by tenants of the lands. They are not really owned by the tenants. The Land Commission really are the owners of these hills at the moment. My information is that no use is being made of the hills at present and that upwards of 2,000 acres would possibly be suitable for planting, which is an important consideration having regard to the need to create employment.
I do not think that is quite correct, although I am not positive. I would not be prepared to say that the land there is unallocated land which is let on temporary convenience. The tenants there would appear to have signed possession agreements. I am only too anxious to establish a forestry centre there if the Deputy would let me have the necessary information.
Further arising out of the question, could I ask the Minister this: to whom are these requests and offers made and how are the surveys carried out? Did the people who are supposed to do so go down and examine this area? Did they contact any of these people or all of them? What is the method of their examination?
The usual procedure of a survey for the establishment of a forestry centre is that an inspector inspects the area first, having ascertained from the local tenants whether they are willing to sell. If they are so willing they are supplied with a form in which they offer the land, state where it is and give a rough estimate of the price they expect. I take it the tenants in this particular instance got the application forms in the usual way, but that they failed to complete or return them, and, of course, we took that as an indication that the tenants were not willing to sell.
I know positively that at least ten of the tenants were quite willing.
If the Deputy will give that information, I shall have the matter investigated again.