HC Deb 23 August 1916 vol 85 cc2692-3W
Mr. MAURICE HEALY

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why, on the division of the Flynn Farm on the CollisSandes Estate at Brosna, county Kerry, amongst the Brosna villagers in plots of accommodation land, the claim of Mrs. Margaret McAuliffe for an accommodation plot was rejected; whether Mrs. McAuliffe's complaint to the Congested Districts Board has been considered and, if so, with what result; whether he is aware that plots have been allotted to persons having extensive farms immediately adjoining Brosna, one of whom has since sold his farms for the purpose of having them divided into accommodation plots and several of whom had already existing plots adjoining their dwellings; whether, on complaint being made, the inspector tendered Mrs. McAuliffe a plot of cut-away bog and refused to allot any arable land with it but afterwards allotted the same bog with arable land to other occupiers; and whether any reason exists for thus exercising discrimination against Mrs. McAuliffe?

Mr. DUKE

I am informed by the Congested Districts Board that the claim of Mrs. Margaret McAuliffe, of Brosna Village, for portion of Flynn's Farm, was not rejected, but that she was offered and refused a portion of 3 acres, 2 roods, 35 perches, of which one acre was agricultural land and the remainder cut-away bog. She held besides 1 acre, 3 roods, 27 perches in her own right. Mrs. McAuliffe's complaint was considered at a meeting of the Board, who approved of the action of their local officers. The statement is not true, as far as the board know, that plots have been allotted to persons having extensive farms immediately adjoining Brosna. A plot, of Flynn's Farm was given to a villager, the holder of a distant farm without any accommodation land near his residence. Recently one man, owing to financial difficulties, had to sell his holding, and the board are informed that a committee of the Brosna tenants are purchasing the lands for meadowing, but not for division into plots. Many of these Brosna tenants had already received small plots from the board, but not sufficient in numerous cases to provide hay for winter feeding. When Mrs. McAuliffe refused the Board's offer the land was subsequently allotted to other occupiers. No discrimination was exercised by the board against Mrs. McAuliffe, whose position is due to her own unreasonableness.