asked the Minister for Lands the present position regarding the Sweeney estate, Ballynahattina, Mount Bellew, Ballinasloe, County Galway.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Galway Estates.
32.
Proceedings were instituted by the Land Commission for the compulsory acquisition of the holding referred to. An objection lodged on behalf of the owner came for hearing before the lay commissioners in June last when the case was adjourned so that the solicitor for the owner might make a further effort to locate his client.
33.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will give a detailed report regarding the sale of an estate (details supplied) in County Galway and its eventual allotment by the Land Commission to a farmer in that locality.
As stated in reply to a question on this subject on 8th November last, Volume 263, No. 6, columns 1077-1080, the Land Commission had instituted proceedings for the acquisition of these lands. On receipt of information from the owner's auctioneer to the effect that he had an acceptable bid from an adjoining smallholder the Land Commission had the matter investigated. This investigation established that the proposed purchaser would bring himself to a viable standard if he got these extra lands and in these circumstances the Land Commission decided to terminate their proceedings and allow the sale.
I must emphasise that the Land Commission were asked to approve of the sale by the owner to a specific purchaser, who happened to be, in the opinion of the Land Commission, the most deserving of the local congests and who would in any event have been the most likely to benefit from a division of the lands in the event of their acquisition by the Land Commission.
On the last occasion on which I raised this question I asked the Minister specifically to give me an answer as to why the other people who bid for that land at the auction were not afforded the same opportunity as the individual in respect of whom the land was eventually sanctioned. Can the Minister let me have this information now?
No. I have given the Deputy all the information I have.
The position is that the Minister has made no effort to ascertain the information since I raised the matter last.