asked the Minister for Lands and Agriculture if he will state the number of writs issued by the Land Commission for arrears of annuities during the past twelve months, and whether in those cases where every effort was made to pay arrears, and where it can be proved to the satisfaction of the Land Commission the lands were not paying the annuitants, he will take steps to withdraw or postpone the proceedings and thus save many citizens from bankruptcy.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - COLLECTION OF LAND ANNUITIES.
Mr. HOGAN
It would be out of the question at this stage to ask the Land Commission and State solicitors to make a return for the whole country showing the number of writs and decrees issued for arrears of Land Commission annuities. We are now in the month of December when another gale is due and when the collection staff of the Land Commission is extremely busy on work in connection with that gale. When the Deputy asks me to withdraw proceedings for Land Commission annuities he must realise that he is requesting the State to repudiate its liabilities.
Arising out of that reply, will the Minister state if he is prepared to propose legislation providing for the spreading out of these arrears over a number of years. and collecting them in half-yearly instalments with the annuities from the tenants?
Mr. HOGAN
The answer is in the negative.
Is the Minister aware that a number of people against whom decrees have been obtained for land annuities have agreed and have written to the Land Commission to state that they are prepared to pay the arrears in half-yearly instalments?
Mr. HOGAN
In fact the Land Commission does not press people unnecessarily.