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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 19 Nov 1942

Vol. 88 No. 17

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Mayo Tenancies.

asked the Minister for Lands if he has taken any steps to overcome the difficulties, if any, which prevent the tenants occupying the townland of Townagrwy, Killewalla, County Mayo (Crotty estate), being made direct tenants to the Irish Land Commission.

I have at present nothing to add to my reply to the Deputy's previous question of the 16th April, 1942, except to assure him that the matter is not being ignored.

The Minister says "my previous question." Why does he cut it down to one? Does he not agree with me that this is a question not for the Land Commission but for himself personally? Is it not one of the reserved services with which the Minister deals personally? Does he not agree with me on that, and will he explain what are the difficulties which prevent him from doing this act of common justice to these people? The only matter involved is that instead of a number of these people having to pay their rent in one sum, it should be taken separately.

The only reason is that in order to arrange matters to the satisfaction of the tenant, inspection and re-arrangement will be necessary, and the Land Commission find it difficult at present to deal with the matter of re-arrangement. However, I shall look into the matter again to see if it is possible to come to some arrangement.

I think that for at least the last two years I have been endeavouring to impress on the Minister that no question of re-arrangement arises; that these people have got their lands separately and that each of them is prepared to pay so much, but that the rent will not be taken from one unless the other 11 are ready to pay at the same time. I say that that would be a very simple thing for the Minister to remedy, and, as I have said, for at least two years I have been asking the Minister to do something about this, but he will not take any step in that direction. Can he say when he will do something about the matter?

If the scheme is so simple as the Deputy suggests I do not think the Land Commission would be averse from dealing with the matter in the way he suggests. Unfortunately, however, these things are not so simple as they might appear, when there is a body of tenants to be dealt with, and the way to deal with such a matter is by means of a rearrangement scheme.

These people hold their lands separately, and the amount they pay is an agreed sum between themselves. What is the difficulty, them? I suggest that a mere stroke of the pen would be sufficient to make them separate tenants of the Land Commission instead of being tenants in common.

The policy is to bring such people nearer to an economic standard. These things are all intermixed and, as the Deputy knows, it is the policy to try to arrange such matters before anything can be done in the way of re-vesting.

But I have not mentioned anything about re-vesting. Where does the Minister get any suggestion about re-vesting from my questions? All I am asking is that they should remain tenants of the Land Commission, but each of them a separate tenant instead of being tenants in common. I suppose I shall be putting down this question as long as the Minister remains Minister for Lands, and that I shall be getting the same answer as I have been getting for the last two years. I say that it is due to sheer laziness on the Minister's part.

Tell them not to pay at all, and then the question will be fixed very quickly.

As a matter of fact, I have had terrible difficulty in getting them to pay, because they are on strike.

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