asked the Minister for Lands if he will recommend to the Land Commission the propriety of transferring the inhabitants of the island of Innishark, situated off the Galway coast, and settling them on the mainland in County Galway close by the sea where they can carry on the pursuit of sea-fishing.

The migration of the Innishark islanders is not a scheme which the Land Commission would normally undertake. Earlier this year, and at my request, some inspectors of the Land Commission investigated the situation locally and, having seen their reports, I came to the conclusion that the scheme is one I could not support.

Would the Minister say why?

Because, as the Deputy knows, if these islanders were to be transferred to the mainland they would probably have to be given economic holdings. The island, being seven miles from the mainland, it would be impossible for them, conveniently at any rate, to work Innishark from the mainland, and there is acute congestion at Cleggan, the point of the mainland nearest to the island. I do not see any possibility of getting land to give them these economic holdings.

Did the inspectors' report indicate that the islanders were willing to take economic holdings inland, away from the sea coast?

I do not know that they reported on that particular matter.