asked the Minister for Lands when work will commence on the proposed afforestation schemes in the Omeath, Carlingford and Ravensdale areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Louth Afforestation Schemes.
Everything possible is being done to accelerate the acquisition of land for forestry purposes in the areas referred to but at this stage I am not in a position to state when work is likely to commerce on any of the additional lands which the Department is seeking to acquire.
Since the Deputy last inquired about the matter on 5th March, 1958, my Department has reached agreement on price with 19 out of 21 co-owners of an area of 118 acres in the Liberties Commons district; the other two owners concerned are in England but are being contacted. Negotiations for the purchase of two areas totalling 38 acres at Ballymakellett are in progress. Commonage areas at Ballaverty, Castletowncooley, Earlsquarter, Grange Irish, Mullaghattin and Glenmore, with a total area of about 1,400 acres were offered recently and will be inspected as soon as possible.
There has been no change in the position regarding commonage areas at Cornamucklagh, Cornakit and Ballymakellett totalling about 1,200 acres in which progress is held up pending the framing of regulations under the Forestry Act, 1956. The title position in these cases is very complex.
Is it not a fact that the Bill introduced to make it easier for the Forestry Division to acquire land was introduced in 1956 by the previous Minister for Lands and that a very long time has elapsed since then without these regulations being made? Will the Minister draw the attention of the Minister for Lands to the fact that it is very urgent that these regulations should be made? They should have been made long ago. It is now two years since the Bill was passed and yet. we have not the necessary regulations.
It will be a slow process before it will be possible to make the regulations under that Act. It will be necessary to consult with the Land Commission, the Appeal Tribunal and the Incorporated Law Society before it will be possible to make these regulations. I am afraid it will be, as I say, a slow process.