asked the Minister for Lands when the Land Commission will allocate a building site to Meath County Council for a housing scheme on the Fagan estate at Summerhill, County Meath.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meath Building Site.
15.
, Cavan): This application will be fully considered by the Land Commission in connection with the resale of the holding. At this stage it is not possible to say when the lands will be allotted.
Can the Minister state when this application was first received in his Department.
(Cavan): Is the Deputy referring to the application by the county council?
Yes.
(Cavan): I do not appear to have that information on the file. I can tell the Deputy that a scheme for the division of the holding has not yet been prepared. There are minor difficulties involved concerning boundaries.
Would it not be possible to give Meath County Council the amount of land which they require? It is not very great. There is a very big housing shortage in the area.
(Cavan): As the Deputy is aware, there is acute congestion in the vicinity and the first duty of the Land Commission is to deal with that congestion.
Is it not always a first priority that you give land for building to a local authority where the amount sought is only an acre or 1½ acres?
(Cavan): The first duty of the Land Commission, as I see it, is to allocate land for the relief of congestion. The Deputy is aware that there are statutory powers available to the county council in relation to acquiring land for housing. In any case, the scheme for this particular holding has not yet been worked out.
When is it expected that a scheme will be prepared for that estate?
(Cavan): I cannot give the Deputy the precise date. As I said, there are minor difficulties to be settled in regard to boundaries.
Question No. 16. The Deputy has had more than his quota of supplementaries.
(Cavan): I regret I have not the information the Deputy seeks on the file. I shall communicate with him.