asked the Minister for Lands why the Land Commission did not make an entrance into the Green estate bog, Rosfaraghan, Ferbane, County Offaly in view of the fact that a roadway was marked out three years ago by the Land Commission and that the applicants are paying £1.50 per year rent.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bog Roads.
13.
(Cavan): I am informed that in 1967-68 the Land Commission allocated 54 turbary rights over the bog referred to at Rosfaraghan, County Offaly and that adequate access to these turf banks was provided at the time. The Land Commission have no information about the road site referred to by the Deputy.
I am led to believe by the people involved that a roadway was marked out for an entrance at the time they got the plots. They were informed that a road would be made into them after a few months. That is the information the people concerned gave me.
(Cavan): I accept that the Deputy has received that information but I can only tell him that the files, which are what I must rely on, do not disclose any such information.
In other words, there was no undertaking given by the Land Commission at that time that a road would be made into them?
(Cavan): That is my information and the files corroborate what I am saying.
That was around the time of the election.
The Deputy need not talk. His party have enough to contend with.
(Interruptions.)
What about the petrol crisis? This is a time of high fuel prices.
(Cavan): It was around 1966 and there were considerable difficulties then too.
Order. Question No. 14, please.
Make them behave themselves.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
Exercise your authority.
Order, please. Question No. 14.
14.
asked the Minister for Lands if the Land Commission have any plans to improve bog roads in the coming year.
(Cavan): The Land Commission are not a road-making authority and the only roads they construct are those which are necessary in connection with the division of lands or bog.
The maintenance or improvement of roads built by the Land Commission is regarded as the responsibility of those who use them.
In view of the fuel crisis would the Minister not consider it wise to extend plans to provide roads for people who are anxious to save turf during the coming year?
(Cavan): The position is that once the Land Commission allocate a bog, provide adequate roads and the bog is vested they are then finished with the matter and it is a matter for another Department.
These questions, particularly this one, have a basis in the present fuel crisis so would the Minister stop splitting hairs, fiddling around and saying that this legal triviality is such-and-such a thing? Why does he not get down to the problem of providing turbary for the people who want to look after their own fuel needs?
(Cavan): The Minister is not splitting hairs. Departments have been allocated by statute or otherwise and I am only responsible for my own Department. My Department are not a road-making authority.
The Minister stated it is not the responsibility of the Land Commission to maintain these roads but surely the tenants concerned are paying annuities to the Land Commission and nobody else has a right to interfere with these roads?
(Cavan): I do not want to argue with Deputy MacSharry but if we are to take as correct what he says then the Land Commission would be responsible for the maintenance of every lane or boreen in the country indefinitely.
Not at all.
The Minister has said that the Land Commission are not a road-making authority. It is true that they are not a roadmaintaining authority but surely during the last emergency, during the war, they were a road-making authority? Our case is that they should again become a road-making authority so far as roads into turbary are concerned. Would the Minister again do what was effectively done before?
(Cavan): I think it would be much better if the Deputy would direct his attention to the appropriate Department.
15.
asked the Minister for Lands if his Department will arrange to have roads laid down in some of the boglands due to be divided in the near future and to increase the money available for such schemes.
(Cavan): Adequate means of access is always provided by the Land Commission in connection with the division of bog and this will continue to be the practice in any future turbary development they may undertake.
However, as I have stated in reply to the previous question the Land Commission are not a road-making authority and are involved in such work only to the extent that it is necessary in connection with their own operations.
Again, arising out of the reply, which tinkers around with the situation, will the Minister look into the whole matter of facilitating the provision of turbary, provision of turf, by getting in touch with the Land Commission and the various county councils and ensuring that this problem which is agitating the minds of his own Deputies, such as Deputy McLaughlin and others——
We cannot debate the matter today.
(Cavan): That is a totally different question but in reply to it, where there is local demand for turbary and where the Land Commission have turbary on hands they are quite prepared to facilitate people who require it by letting it to them or allocating it to them.
But they will not make roads into it?
(Cavan): They will, if they allocate it. I have said that ad nauseam. The Deputy is well aware that when the Land Commission allocate turbary they provide access roads but they do not accept responsibility for maintaining those roads indefinitely.
Can the Minister say if the Land Commission have any arrangements with the local road-making authorities for the maintenance of these roads?
(Cavan): No.
Why not?
(Cavan): I respectfully suggest to the Deputy that the best way of doing that is for the county council concerned, and in particular the councillors, to take it up at county council level and get the roads repaired.
There is no money there.
May I take it that the Land Commission have no objection to the county councils or road authorities taking over Land Commission roads and maintaining these roads? Can the Minister state that clearly?
(Cavan): I do not know exactly what the Deputy means by Land Commission roads but I can say that the Land Commission have no objection to the local authority taking over and maintaining roads which the Land Commission have provided for turbary which they have allocated and handed over.
Further arising——
I cannot allow a debate to develop such as is happening.
Is the Minister aware that the Minister for Local Government has been asked by a number of local authorities for finance to deal with these roads——
The Deputy is bringing in new matter.
——and that the Minister for Local Government has refused even to meet deputations?
You cannot put down roads without finance.
(Cavan): I am not aware of that but I should be extremely surprised to hear that the Minister had refused to receive any responsible and reasonable deputation.
He did.
Donegal County Council.
(Cavan): Well, Donegal County Council is a mixed up sort of body at the moment.
(Interruptions.)
Not half as mixed up as you are here.
(Cavan): It was not we who mixed it up; it was one of your own fellows. No wonder Deputy Cunningham is laughing.
(Interruptions.)