asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the position regarding the acquisition of the estate of Mrs. Venetta D. Buddicom, which is situated at Glenturk Beg, County Mayo; and if proceedings have been begun under the provisions of the Forestry Acts, 1946 and 1956.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Acquisition of Mayo Lands.
58.
The Forestry Division of my Department agreed in 1956 to purchase an area of 1,800 acres held by Miss Venetia D. Buddicom in the townland of Glenturk Beg near Bangor Erris, Co. Mayo. There has been considerable delay in the clearance of title to the area, but there is now reason to believe that this question will be resolved in the near future.
59.
asked the Minister for Lands if the Forestry Section have reconsidered the question of acquiring the lands of Ballycroy, Westport, County Mayo, for forestry planting; and, if so, what decision has been reached regarding the acquisition of this vast tract of land.
60.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the area and location of lands which have been acquired by the Forestry Section for afforestation purposes in Ballycroy, Westport, County Mayo; and when work is likely to commence in that area.
With the permission of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 60 together.
The Forestry Division of my Department has not yet acquired any lands for afforestation purposes in the Ballycroy district. Agreement to purchase an area of 337 acres in the townland of Tawnynahulty has, however, been reached and title is in course of clearance.
In recent years the Forestry Division has inspected areas totalling over 13,000 acres in the Ballycroy district but apart from the area of 337 acres to which I have referred they have been found to be generally unsuitable for planting because of poor soil quality and exposure. One large commonage area of 5,500 acres will be reconsidered in a few years' time when the results of experimental planting on similar soil types in the West become available.
A new offer of about 2,000 acres in the townland of Glennamong in the Ballycroy district was recently received and is being investigated.
Is the Minister satisfied from the experiments carried out over the past ten years on what is regarded as poor quality ground that the land mentioned in the two questions which the Minister has answered is suitable for planting with certain assistance after the planting stage?
I am aware that certain progress has been made in this field, but I am also advised that, pending the results of certain experiments in Glenamoy and elsewhere, it is not feasible at the moment to assess the potentialities of soil such as that with which we are concerned.
The ground in question is perfectly suitable for planting.
It was planted over 100 years ago and is perfectly suitable.