Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 8 May 1975

Vol. 280 No. 9

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Cork Island.

63.

asked the Minister for Lands if he will state in respect of Mutton Island, County Clare (a) the dates and details of the advertisements for its sale (b) the manner in which the sale was conducted (c) the number of offers for its purchase (d) the sale price (e) the name of the purchasers and (f) the nature of any investigations carried out to determine whether the island would be preserved as a bird sanctuary.

Cavan): So far as the Land Commission are aware, this property was advertised for sale extensively in 1969 but there were no takers at the time. A short time later a Mr. Joseph Neylon purchased the Island. In 1973, Mr. Neylon sold the island to Mrs. Hufty of Washington, D.C., in a private sale. Mrs. Hufty decided to take the purchase in the name of her company, Vancouver Delaware Corporation. An application was made for the consent of the Land Commission under section 45, Land Act, 1965, to enable the property to be purchased in the name of the company. In support of the application it was stated that the purchaser's sole purpose in buying the island was to own it for its intrinsic beauty and tranquility and the object would be to maintain it as such. It was stated at the time that she had no immediate plans but that she would contemplate putting a residence there.

The Land Commission obtained reports from their local officers in the matter and in view of the importance of the island as a habitat of the Barnacle Goose, which is a protected species in this country, they also consulted the Forest and Wildlife Service.

Having fully considered all aspects of the case, it was decided in April, 1974, to grant consent to the sale. The consent was given in the knowledge that the Forest and Wildlife Service had informed the planning authority of the significance of the island for wildlife and had requested that it be consulted in the case of any development proposed for the island in the future. In conveying their consent the Land Commission drew attention to the importance of the island from the wildlife point of view and the likelihood in the future that the Forest and Wildlife Service would be pursuing this interest.

The price which Mrs. Hufty agreed to pay for the island is a confidential matter.

Barr
Roinn