andMr. Tully asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware of the grave dissatisfaction which has been expressed over the way in which it is proposed to allocate the Clonyn and Smith Estates, Rhode, County Offaly; and if he will state the basis on which it is proposed to give five persons four acres each and two persons 150 acres each.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Offaly Estates.
23.
I am not aware of any dissatisfaction among genuine working small farmers in the area.
These two estates, aggregating 335 acres, were included in a comprehensive plan of land settlement in the area which was put into effect earlier this month and involved, in all, some 788 acres.
The main portion of the estate referred to in the question was allocated to two migrants, but it must be put on the record that, by way of exchange, they surrendered, respectively, 85 acres three miles away and 150 acres one mile away.
In addition, five local cottiers received accommodation plots of four acres each and a total of 37 acres was allotted to four local smallholders as enlargements.
The lands surrendered by the two migrants, aggregating 235 acres, are being allocated, as enlargements, to ten smallholders in the same locality.
Does the Minister consider it right that somebody should be allotted 150 acres of land on an estate on which other people are being asked to live on holdings of 45 acres and on which cottiers are offered four acres each? Would he not agree that no matter what acreage is given up by somebody who wants to transfer, it is unreasonable to offer an amount as extensive as 150 acres to one person?
I do not get the drift of the Deputy's question because these people were voluntarily giving up approximately the same amount of land as they were receiving and it suited the Land Commission to migrate them to an area a mile or three miles away or rather to take their land a mile or three miles away. Obviously they would not move unless they got a comparable holding.
Will they get a large holding if they move a few miles?
I think so; 85 acres three miles away, and 150 acres one mile away.