asked the Minister for Lands if the Forestry Branch are yet prepared to accept the commonage held by five tenants of the Land Commission in Kinclare, Caltra, County Galway, and offered by them to the Forestry Branch for planting purposes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Galway Commonage.
108.
Agreement to purchase the commonage in question for afforestation purposes was reached by my Department with the five co-owners a number of years ago. There was protracted delay in getting all the parties to show title to the lands. After the title problem had been satisfactorily resolved one of the co-owners refused to complete the sale and my Department is now considering the question of instituting compulsory proceedings in order to acquire the area.
In view of the fact that this has been going on for years, as the Minister said in his answer, and the fact that this is very suitable land for planting beside existing forests where employment is diminishing and before it diminishes further, would the Minister use all the power possible to try to get the one tenant who is not cooperating with the other four to agree? If not, could he leave portion out for that tenant and acquire the other four-fifths which the other tenants and their solicitors have agreed for years should go to the Forestry Division?
In the particular circumstances of this case, the quickest solution, and indeed, I think the only real solution, is to use the compulsory proceedings which are vested in the Forestry Division. As I have indicated in my reply, that matter is now being considered.
I would ask the Minister to get it into operation as soon as possible.