asked the Minister for Lands if, in regard to his recent statement that there were plenty of holdings of 33½ statute acres available in the country for farmers willing to migrate, he will state (a) the number and location of such holdings, (b) the number of applications for transfer received from uneconomic holders in the rural districts of Ballina, Belmullet, Swinford and Westport, and (c) whether the Land Commission have considered the propriety of acquiring the holdings referred to in his statement, and, if so, whether the applicants from North Mayo will receive favourable consideration when allotment takes place.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land for Migrant Farmers.
The Deputy appears to have misunderstood my statement. The holdings I referred to were the holdings which the Land Commission are constantly creating out of untenanted lands already in their hands. The question of acquiring them does not, therefore, arise.
As to part (b) of the question, the time and trouble involved in segregating the applications on the basis of rural districts could not be justified.
In any event, I would like the Deputy to realise that, of all such applications received, only about one in 20 comes from a really suitable applicant and no doubt the Deputy is aware that in selecting migrants the main consideration of the Land Commission is, and must be, the merit of the surrendered lands for the relief of congestion and rundale in the home locality.
I understood from the Minister's statement, as reported in the Western People of 30th April, that he has plenty of land in the form of small holdings available—is that correct?
The Deputy's question would appear to indicate that he understood from me that the holdings to which I referred were holdings not already acquired, whereas I was referring to holdings already in the hands of the Land Commission.
But the Minister stated that he had plenty of such holdings?
Yes, that is quite clear and I do not believe the Deputy did misunderstand. I think he is trying to pretend that he did.
I am not.
I think the report was very clear.
The Minister made a definite statement that he had plenty of land up the country and advised people from this area to look for it.
If the Deputy read it in that way, why did he word the question in the way that he has worded it?