asked the Minister for Lands if he will grant the shooting rights over their own land to tenants on the Ardilaun Estate, Cong, County Mayo.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mayo Shooting Rights.
14.
(Cavan): These shooting rights were reserved to the estate owners when the tenanted holdings were sold under the Land Purchase Acts over fifty years ago. The rights subsequently passed to my Department on its purchase of certain Ardilaun estate property and have been the subject of periodic leases. No application from the landowners concerned for a transfer of the rights has been received by my Department but, as I indicated to the Deputy in reply to previous questions, if any such applications are made the matter will be investigated.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, could I ask him whether or not he is already aware that the landowners want the shooting rights to revert to them, and that this was made quite clear here in a Dáil Question Time over a year ago? There should be no doubt in the Minister's mind as to the desire of the tenants and landowners that they want the shooting rights to revert to them, but he had already entered into a lease of these lands in the private interest. That lease expires next February or March, and I would ask the Minister now if he would arrange for the shooting rights to revert to the owners.
(Cavan): I said when the Deputy last put down a question that, if the owners made application to purchase or have transferred to them the sporting rights, I would give that favourable consideration. I am now inviting the landowners, through the Deputy, to apply for the transfer of the sporting rights to them and I will have their applications sympathetically investigated with the minimum of delay.
I am very grateful to the Minister for that invitation today. Could I ask him one final supplementary? Can the application be made in an ordinary letter or is there a specific form to be filled?
(Cavan): I would suggest a simple letter in the first instance.
Is each landowner to write directly to the Minister?
(Cavan): Yes.