asked the Minister for Lands if he will state why Mr. Michael John McCabe, Keadue, County Roscommon, who has six children, was not given an enlargement of land on Kingston estate, which adjoins his small, uneconomic holding, while two elderly publicans, with no families, were allotted parcels by the Land Commission on this estate.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Allotment of Roscommon Lands.
asked the Minister for Lands whether he is aware (a) that Mr. Henry Notley, a farmer of Oakport, Knockvicar, Boyle, who had already a large farm, has been allotted 83 acres on the Kingston estate by the Land Commission in exchange for 35 acres surrendered by him; (b) that Mr. Notley sold another large farm two years ago; and (c) that several uneconomic holders and several married occupiers of labourers' cottages in the vicinity of the estate received no allotment; and, if so, if he will state whether he is prepared to have this matter investigated with a view to having the position remedied.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will state why Mr. Frank Doherty, a herd and employee on the Kingston estate, Kilronan, County Roscommon, for 35 years, has not been allotted a holding or any other form of compensation for the loss of his means of livelihood.
As the Deputy is aware, I have no control over the selection of allottees. The questions suggest that the Land Commission have misused their discretionary powers, which I am satisfied is not the case. The questions as worded completely misrepresent the situation in all three cases.
I am afraid the Minister is misinformed in this matter. I think the information is quite correct. I have merely asked him to investigate it.
May I point out that in all three questions the Deputy has made statements which are completely at variance with the facts?
It is all very well to say that, but I would like you to point out where they are not in accordance with the facts.
As I pointed out in my reply, I have no function whatever in the matter.
I understand that.
In Question No. 4, the Deputy asks why Michael McCabe did not get an allotment. Is that man not a butcher?
He is, but he has a family. The others are publicans.
The others are two elderly publicans with no families. One surrendered seven acres in exchange for six acres and three roods in order to facilitate the Land Commission in making a scheme for that area. The other surrendered ten acres and got seven acres in exchange. The Deputy's question suggests that these men got allotments without surrendering anything at all.
I did not suggest that.
That is the interpretation it appears to have.
The other man also had land to surrender but he was not given an opportunity of doing so.
Perhaps his land did not form part of the Land Commission scheme. In Question No. 6 the Deputy says that this man gave up 33 acres. He gave up 47 acres containing a total arable area of 20 acres, and he got in exchange something around 83 or 84 acres of land with an arable content of only eight acres. The poor law valuation is practically the same in both cases. If that is not misrepresentation of the facts, I do not know what it is.
I have been given that acreage and I have, of course, to accept it.
I am now giving the Deputy accurate figures.