asked the Minister for Lands if he will consider altering the present system under which island holders living in islands off the West Cork coast are not eligible for consideration by the Land Commission for exchange of holdings, so as to permit these island holders to be considered for exchange of holdings on the same conditions as apply to persons living on the mainland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - West Cork Islanders: Exchange of Holdings.
1.
The Deputy's information that these island holders are ineligible for consideration for exchange of holdings is not correct. In fact some tenants have already been migrated from Hare Island and Dursey Island. The question of altering the present system does not, therefore, arise.
Is the Minister aware that, for more than four years, these people have not been eligible? There has been no migration from these islands since 1957.
I am not so aware. There is no rule prohibiting migration from islands if it is desirable from the point of view of local circumstances.
Is the Minister not aware that all applications received from these island holders have been turned down and that it has been indicated to them that it is useless and a waste of time to apply?
I know that in some of the islands off that coast, at least one, conditions are unusual inasmuch as the land is good and the holdings are compact. As far as the other islands are concerned, if applications were turned down it was for one of the very good reasons which the local authority had.
Am I to assume——
The Deputy is to assume from my reply that there is nothing to prevent people from migrating from the islands——
There definitely is.