asked the Minister for Lands (i) if he is aware that the Bowes Farm at Fletcherstown, Wilkinstown, Navan, County Meath, has recently been sold by public auction; (ii) if this fact was brought to the notice of the Land Commission; (iii) if the Land Commission put a bid on the farm; (iv) what acreage is in this farm; and (v) what acreage the buyer of the farm already owns.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sale of Navan Farm.
32.
Following are the replies to the various parts of the question:
(1) Yes.
(2) Representations urging acquisition were received by the Land Commission who then arranged to have the matter investigated, but the lands were meanwhile sold.
(3) No.
(4) 38 acres, approximately.
(5) This is a personal matter of the individual concerned.
Is the Minister not aware that the information that the lands were about to be sold was passed personally by me to the Land Commission several weeks—almost a month, in fact—before the lands were eventually sold? Does it take the Land Commission that long, waiting until someone else buys the farm, or is it because a representative of his Party in County Meath gave a guarantee that the lands would not be taken over by the Land Commission that no action was taken?
Is the Deputy referring to me?
Yes.
Guilty conscience!
I gave no guarantee to anybody in connection with this matter.
It is quite incorrect to say such representations were received, according to the information before me, from my colleague, as suggested by the Deputy. The Deputy is also incorrect when he says that he informed the Land Commission these lands were about to be sold. The Deputy called on 27th March and gave a list of seven holdings which he suggested the Land Commission should investigate. He mentioned there might be a danger that some of the seven might be sold.
And that was one of them.
That is not what the Deputy stated here.
Further arising out of the Minister's reply, would the Minister not admit the Land Commission got the information from me in March that a number of farms, including this particular one—have I permission to ask this supplementary question?
The Deputy has asked one. Am I to reply to it?
Wait until I ask it first. Is the Minister aware that I supplied information in March to the Land Commission that a number of farms were available in the area and that some, including this one as it turns out, were likely to be sold? Is he further aware that, at a Fianna Fáil meeting in Cavan, the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs is reported to have said that, on receipt of information from one of the people in his area that the lands were notified to the Land Commission for acquisition, none of these farms would be taken over?
The Deputy, as I have said, gave a list of seven holdings which he suggested the Land Commission might acquire for the relief of congestion. It was a very safe bet that all, or some, of these holdings might be sold before the Land Commission could have the matter officially investigated. I have no information about the allegation he makes in regard to some alleged statement made by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs at some meeting in the constituency, but the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs assures me here that there is no truth in the Deputy's allegation and no foundation for it.
If the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs says he did not make that statement, I accept his statement.
Let it go down on the record of the House that the matter was never mentioned to me and I mentioned it to no one at any meeting anywhere.