asked the Minister for Fisheries how much money is at present in the hands of the trustees of the McConky Bog Estate, County Longford; what is at present being done with these moneys; how the McConky bogs are at present being utilised; and if there is any State control over either the bogs or the moneys at present in the care of the McConky Bog Estate trustees.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - McCONKY BOG ESTATE (LONGFORD).
The Land Commission have no information as to the amount of money which is at present in the hands of the trustees of the bogs on the Maconchy Estate, Co. Longford. The bogs on this estate comprise
(a) bogs on untenanted lands in the vendor's exclusive occupation and
(b) turbary situate within the ambit of certain tenant purchasers holdings on the estate.
(a) The bogs on this estate which were, prior to the sale by the vendor to the tenants thereof under the Land Purchase Acts, the property of the vendor and in his exclusive occupation were purchased for a nominal sum by trustees on behalf of the tenant purchasers and are held by them upon the terms and conditions of a scheme framed under the provisions of Section 20 of the Irish Land Act, 1903.
(b) Bogs which were situated within the ambit of the holdings of tenants of the estate were made the subject of regulations framed by the Land Commission under the provisions of Section 21 of the said Act. Under these regulations it is provided that the trustees of the scheme shall annually before the turf-cutting season send to the Land Commission a report containing the names of the persons who it is proposed shall be authorised to cut turf on the bogs subject thereto and, if the Land Commission sanction the report, the trustees shall authorise the said persons to cut turf accordingly, each person so authorised to pay to the trustees a sum of one shilling for a bog ticket or permit while the trustees are to pay the proprietor of the holding the sum of 2s. 6d. in respect of each person authorised to cut turf thereon. In connection with this matter the vendor paid to the trustees a sum of £500 upon trust to make such payments of 2s. 6d. and with power in their discretion to apply the trust funds also in the improvement of the bogs.
The terms of the scheme under Section 20 of the Act provide that the bogs included in it shall be held by the trustees in trust to permit certain specified purchasers and under certain conditions other persons in the neighbourhood to cut turf on the Trust Estate, depasture cattle thereon and to plant the Trust Estate or portion thereof with timber, with power to fix according to a uniform scale the annual or other contribution to be made by each of such persons in respect of the outgoings and expenses incidental to the Trust.
The State does not exercise any control over the bogs (a) vested in trustees under Section 20 of the Act except that the nomination of new trustees is subject to the approval of the Land Commission and their appointment is made by the Minister for Fisheries and that the trusts of the scheme may not be revoked or altered save with his approval.
Will the Minister see that the Land Commission will compel the trustees to make proper roads into the bogs?
That is quite a different question altogether.