asked the Minister for Lands if the Land Commission will retain the lands of the Mulchrone estate, Newport, County Mayo, for local farmers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mayo Estate.
20.
Cavan): The Land Commission recently carried out an inspection of the property referred to with a view to determining whether acquisition proceedings should be instituted and, as a result of that inspection and in consideration of all other relevant factors, decided not to proceed further in the matter.
Is the Minister aware that there seems to be a lack of consistency on the part of the Land Commission in relation to the division of land in this area? Is he aware that an emigrant who returned and bought a holding had this holding taken back by a Land Commission court for small farmers? In this instance the good lady who has come in seems to be getting away with something the local people are anxious to get for themselves.
(Cavan): As the Deputy is aware, the decision in cases like this rests with the Land Commission. I am not aware of the particulars in relation to the holding referred to by the Deputy. If the Deputy gives me those particulars I will look into the matter. In regard to this holding I should like to state that it contains 38a. 1r. 36p. and is described as being of heavy nature and difficult to work. There are 17 acres of fair grazing which is rush infested; 16 acres consist of peaty hilly grazing with furze, rushes and some rock outcropping. Five acres are covered with water and waste. There is another 39-acre holding in the same townland in the final stages of acquisition by the Land Commission. The holding the subject of the question was fully investigated by the Land Commission in relation to a request to consent to the sale under section 45 of the Land Act, 1965. It transpires that the purchaser is Her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco. The Land Commission considered the matter and, having regard to the international status of the purchaser, her family association with the area and the land the subject of the question—I believe her forefathers owned it—and having regard to the respect, and affection in which Princess Grace is held in Mayo and in the country, came to the conclusion—I believe rightly so—that the local and national interest would be best served by permitting the sale. They did so. While I have no function in relation to the matter I entirely agree with what the Land Commission did in this matter.
The Minister will agree that we all would like to see Princess Grace coming here but the Land Commission might have considered making the land available to local congests. The Princess will not think be farming the area and, from the description of the land, I do not think it would be of much benefit to her whereas local congests would benefit greatly from the good land there.
(Cavan): I regret to say that there was a lot of petty, small-minded criticism of this very desirable transaction. I am sure Deputy Gallagher is acting in good faith but there were some other people very far removed from Mayo interesting themselves in the sale. They had not the interest of Mayo, or the national interest, at heart.
I made representations a long time ago in relation to these lands; as far back as 18 months ago. I am not influenced by others.
Can we take it that the same criteria will be laid down by the Land Commission as outlined by the Minister, that a person whose forefathers occupied the land previously will get the land?
(Cavan): The Deputy, and the House, will appreciate, that this is a case on its own. Princess Grace has brought a lot of respect and esteem to this country. She is held in the highest regard by everybody and she has behaved throughout her life in a manner that has done great credit to this nation. I can call it nothing but small and petty in the extreme to be raising this question.
I asked the Minister if the same criteria would apply in future?
We cannot have repetition.
I regret that the Minister is emphasising so much about Princess Grace because this does not arise. Will the same criteria apply in future? This question of who you are——
This is repetition.
We have the highest respect——
Question No. 21.
(Cavan): Every case will be dealt with by the Land Commission on its own merits and I make no apology for saying that the status of the person involved here had a big bearing on the decision.