asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that the lands of Rathaline, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare, held by Mr. A.B. Stoney, are advertised for sale; if he can say whether under the provisions of the Land Act, 1923, the Land Commission can acquire and distribute these lands; if several workmen now employed on the lands and who will probably be disemployed if the lands are sold in lots have any priority of claim in the matter?
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - COUNTY CLARE LANDS.
The lands referred to appear to be the lands of Rathlaheen, South, on the estate of A.B. Stoney and Another. The Land Commission have no information as regards the proposed sale of these lands. They are not situate in a Congested Districts County and accordingly, if untenanted, could only be acquired for the relief of congestion. If tenanted, they will vest in the Land Commission under the Act of 1923, and will be dealt with by the Commissioners in accordance with the Act.
In the distribution of lands acquired by the Land Commission due regard is had to the cases of labourers living on or in the vicinity of the lands whom the Land Commission consider competent to work land.
Arising out of that question, I would ask the Minister if he is aware that all over the country, at the moment, sales are sought to be effected by the landlord in order to get better prices or to evade the terms of the Land Act, 1923?
That is a separate question.
Is the Minister aware that this is only one of a number of cases?
That is the same point again exactly.
I have answered the question one hundred times.
Has the Minister considered that if these lands are sold in eight lots the difficulties are made eight times greater after the sale than before the sale?
I would not like to enter into a dispute as to whether it is three, four, five, six, seven, or eight times as much, but the difficulty will be something greater. On the other hand, if these lands are sold in lots that is another way of dividing the lands. I do not say that it is an ideal way.
Regardless of the fact that these people have enough land already?
Regardless of the fact that the purchasers have enough land already— yes, but if there are any congests in the neighbourhood and if there is no other suitable land in the neighbourhood, the Land Commission have ample power to acquire these lands compulsorily from the people who buy the land, together with the land they held before they bought that land, and the Land Commission proposes to do that.
Hear, hear.