asked the Minister for Lands why 26 acres approximately of the Creaven estate, Scarriff, County Clare are being allotted to a public body although there are many small land-owners in the area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Clare Estate.
5.
(Cavan): The selection of allottees for land is a matter that is reserved exclusively, by law, to the Lay Commissioners and is one in which I have no function.
In this case I understand that because of the situation of the lands in question—adjacent to the town of Scarriff—and the need for land for housing and amenity purposes, the commissioners decided that the requirements of the county council should be given priority.
Is this a precedent? I understand the Land Commission dealt entirely with agricultural land and had no dealings in disposing of land other than small farms.
(Cavan): No, it is not a precedent. The Land Commission try to meet the requirements of local authorities adjacent to towns when they have lands on hand. The Land Commission have to take into consideration the annuity it would be necessary to charge on lands if they allocated them, but the primary consideration was that this was a small holding beside the town of Scarriff, that land was required for a factory site and for playing fields. I do not want to be too hard on the Deputy, but I have representations on the file from Deputy Loughnane requesting that land be made available for these very purposes.
That is correct. I am quite satisfied on that score. I am fully aware that the housing is necessary and will benefit more people than the number of people who are looking for the land. However, if land were available a little further out than the normal distance for those people at a future date, would they be considered for such land?
(Cavan): I can assure the Deputy that if suitable land becomes available in the vicinity of congestion, the Land Commission will certainly take an interest in it and take steps to acquire it.
I am sure a number of Deputies have found that the Land Commission often will not acquire land in the vicinity of towns on the grounds that it is not development land, but in this case they seem to have acquired land which they subsequently allotted to a local authority, whereas in other cases they refused to acquire land on the grounds that it was more proper for the local authority to acquire it themselves.
The Deputy is raising a wider issue now.
(Cavan): That is a general question. The question put down by Deputy Loughnane is a specific question. The Land Commission have regard to the circumstances prevailing in each case.
Would the Minister agree that this decision seems to establish the principle that the Land Commission do acquire land which they themselves officially deem as development land?
The Deputy is raising a matter of general policy. This is a question appertaining to a specific estate. Question No. 6.
Deputy Molloy's question seems fairly relevant, because I thought the general principle operated by the Land Commission——
A discussion on the general principle would not be in order. I have called the next question, No. 6.
——was to deal with the relief of congestion and not with development, which is a complete departure from what I thought the purpose of the Land Commission was.
(Cavan): The question on the Order Paper relates to a farm adjacent to the town of Scarriff, County Clare. If the Deputies put down a question of general policy, I shall deal with it
The question states——
I called the next question on a number of occasions.
I want to ask——
The Chair will not allow itself to be frustrated in this fashion.
May I ask one final question? Deputy Loughnane's question asks why so many acres have been allotted to a public body.
A particular estate at Scarriff is involved here.
(Cavan): That relates to a holding of 26 acres adjacent to the town of Scarriff, County Clare. I have answered the question having regard to the prevailing situation and conditions that now exist there.
Why was the land acquired by the Land Commission?
(Cavan): I have not got that information on the file.
Does the Minister not think there is a major principle involved here?
Question No. 6.