asked the Minister for Lands if he intends to abolish the system of rundale still surviving in the Currane townland, Swinford, County Mayo (Ruttledge estate, Barony of Gallen); if he is aware that these tenants have been awaiting redivision of their holdings for over 20 years, and that the continuance of this system is hindering food production and preventing tenants from taking advantage of the Farm Improvements Schemes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rundale System in Co. Mayo.
The townland of Curryaun forms part of the big Ruttledge estate (comprising over 6,000 acres) acquired by the Congested Districts Board. This estate is most difficult to deal with owing to the amount of congestion and the prevalence of the rundale system therein. The only way in which land can be acquired for the enlargement and rearrangement of holdings on the estate is by migrating a number of the tenants, but efforts made by the Land Commission in this direction have been hampered by the unwillingness of the tenants to co-operate in proposals for migration and rearrangement and also by emergency conditions. So far, only two small holdings in the townland of Curryaun have been acquired by migration, but arrangements are contemplated for migrating five further tenants under the Group Migration Scheme as soon as practicable. The Land Commission are fully alive to the desirability of effecting rearrangement of the rundale holdings on this and similar congested estates, but the difficulties are enormous and delay is inevitable.
The Minister points out that the difficulty is due to the reluctance of the tenants to take advantage of the migration scheme. That reluctance is attributable to the excessive rent they have to pay when they go up the country. Is the Minister not aware that for 20 years both Governments have been promising the tenants redivision of this estate at the earliest possible moment, that the parents of children in the area have to keep them from school in order to mind cattle during the tillage season and that these people cannot take advantage of the farm improvement scheme and other schemes which they could do if this estate were divided? Surely, the Minister will take immediate steps to have the estate divided so that the children will not have to be kept from school to engage in watching cattle out in the cold. I think that this is a scandal.
I understand the position of tenants in Curryaun. It is most desirable to improve their position but the difficulties are enormous. The more experience I have of such estates the less I blame the Land Commission—which I used to before I entered the Land Commission.
"There is more joy in Heaven over the conversion of one sinner..."