Vol. 196 No. 11
asked the Minister for Finance why a grant has not been made available by his Department to repair the bog road from the back of the house of Mr. Matthew Killian to Mr. Thomas Mooney's bog at Derrycoffey, Croghan, Tullamore, County Offaly; and if he is aware that this proposal was inspected, and that the many local users have been expecting considerable improvements to be made to this much used road.
9.
asked the Minister for Finance if he has received an application from Mr. John Sheeran, Bunsallagh, Croghan, Tullamore, County Offaly, on behalf of a number of turf-cutters for the cleaning of a bog drain from the Yellow River at Mr. Christopher Maguire's land to Mr. Matthew Killian's boundary at Derrycoffey, Croghan, County Offaly; if he is aware that this bog drain is one requiring urgent attention, and that it should have been included in the current scheme of grants for such work; and if he will now undertake an immediate examination of the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to answer Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together. The road and drain serve the same bog owned by two families. Full-cost grants amounting in all to £490 have been expended on the development of this turbary area in which some lettings are made to local farmers and in which the annual production in former years ranged from 700 to 900 tons of turf. When inspected in 1956 production was down to 120 tons by four families and when last inspected in December, 1960, only three tenants and the two owners produced 100 tons —their domestic supplies of turf—not-withstanding the fact that a drainage grant was expended in 1957. The applicant and owner was advised on 30th November, 1957, and again on 13th July, 1960, to submit the road application for consideration under the Rural Improvements Scheme as no further full-cost grants could be justified. The road and drain would serve the lands and bogs of two farmers and the lands of three other farmers. Owing to the small turf production no further full-cost grants can be made for either the road or drain under Bog Development Schemes, but if the farmers concerned submit the proposals under the Rural Improvements Scheme which requires a contribution from the beneficiaries, I shall have the matter sympathetically considered.
