asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (1) if by indenture dated 1st November, 1934, and sealed with his seal and that of the Minister for Finance there was granted to two members of the Oireachtas under Section 11 of the Mines and Minerals Act, 1931, a prospecting lease, limited to a period of two years, but containing a proviso for the enlargement of this period by a further period of 97 years, whereby there were reserved to these two members the exclusive rights of mining in relation to 982 acres in the townlands of Ballintemple, Coolgarrow and Clonwilliam, in the County of Wicklow, in consideration of these two members paying annually a minimum rent of five to ten pounds and/or a royalty of 1/25 part of the value of the minerals obtained by them and guaranteeing to employ constantly from four to eight able-bodied and experienced miners; and further, if he will state (2) if he is aware that on the 12th of March, 1935, these two members of the Oireachtas entered into an agreement with the managing director of a London Syndicate, (a) granting to the Syndicate a sub-lease or licence to work the minerals of the 982 acres aforesaid for a term of 97 years, and (b) guaranteeing to do all acts necessary to obtain and, if obtained, to grant to the Syndicate a licence to work for 97 years the minerals of 2,000 additional acres in six townlands in County Wicklow and the minerals of the foreshore of Arklow, and (c) guaranteeing to do all acts necessary to obtain and, if obtained, to grant to the Syndicate a licence to work for 97 years the minerals in any other townlands in the County of Wicklow for which these two members had made application and, in return for the said grant and guarantees and for no other consideration, securing from the Syndicate (a) that the Syndicate would form a company (to be called the Consolidated Goldfields of Ireland, Ltd.) with paid up capital of not less than £80,000, and would allot to these two members of the Oireachtas 48,000 five shilling fully paid up shares, and (b) that the Syndicate would pay to these two members of the Oireachtas a royalty of 6¼ per cent., and (c) that the Syndicate would find employment for eight men.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wicklow Mining Lease.
The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The second part of the question describes in general terms an agreement for certain sub—leases between the lessees of the lease mentioned in the first part of the question and the chairman of a certain syndicate. Under the terms of leases granted under the Mines and Minerals Act, 1931, subleasing requires my consent. I have not given any such consent in the present case.