asked the Minister for Fisheries how many estates came under the Land Act 1923, their total acreage and the number of tenants thereon; also how many of the estates have been vested; their acreage and number of tenants.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - LAND ACT (1923) OPERATIONS.
(a) Up to the present, as regards tenanted land coming under the provisions of the Land Act, 1923, maps and schedules of particulars have been lodged with the Land Commission in respect of 5,550 estates comprising a total area of 2,756,000 acres, the number of tenants thereon being 86,540.
(b) 2,398 holdings (on 663 estates) comprising a total area of 110,764 acres have been vested. In addition, 13,700 holdings comprising 495,000 acres have been provisionally gazetted preliminary to being vested.
As regards untenanted land, the Land Commission have acquired 188,000 acres situate on 397 estates and the price has been agreed on or fixed in respect of a further 62,700 acres. In addition, inspections have taken place or inquiries are being made as regards a further 800,000 acres.
With regard to the fixing of the appointed day on these estates, at the present rate of progress it would take twenty years for the Land Commission to complete the operations of the 1923 Act. Are we to assume that?
No. That would be a foolish assumption on the part of the Deputy. We have succeeded in speeding up the appointed day for the vesting of tenant holdings considerably. The passing of the 1927 Act permitted us to add the compounded arrears of rent to the purchase money and thus facilitated us in vesting. In addition to that, further steps have been taken to push forward the vesting of holdings.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary state that the appointed day would be fixed within three years from now?
I could not say.