asked the Minister for Lands and Fisheries whether he will state the amount allocated for the improvement of estates (out of the amount of £323,200 allowed for the current financial year) up to September 30th, 1928; also the amounts allocated for such work in the counties of Leix and Offaly.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - LEIX AND OFFALY ESTATES.
The amount expended under the Land Purchase Acts by the Land Commission on improvement of holdings, etc., during the six months ended 30th ult. was £134,000, of which £8,957 was expended on lands situate in the counties of Leix and Offaly.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that out of the £300,000 allocated by this House for 1926-7 a sum of £100,474 12s. 6d. was returned as unexpended to the Exchequer, and that a similar state of affairs is represented by the accounts available for the previous year, 1925-26? Will the Parliamentary Secretary see that the necessary number of qualified supervisors is employed so that the improvement work, which gives valuable employment, will be carried out in the year for which the money is voted?
The full amount voted last year was expended. The Deputy is referring to the year 1926-27.
I deliberately used the words "for which the last figures were available," that is the Appropriation Accounts, 1926-27. The same thing happened in 1925-26, and I understand the same thing is likely to happen this year.
The greater portion of the money was expended in the period September to the 31st March. We have already expended an abnormal amount of money from April to the 30th September.
asked the Minister for Lands and Fisheries whether he will state what percentage of estates in the Saorstát has been vested in the Land Commission since the passing of the Land Act, 1923, (a) in Leix County, and (b) in Offaly County; and whether he can state approximately when the appointed day will be fixed in respect of estates not yet vested.
The number of estates in which prescribed Schedules of Particulars have been lodged under the Land Act, 1923, in Leix is 248, and in Offaly 235. Of these 52 estates in Leix have been vested, and 25 in Offaly. Owing to the great disparity in the size and complexities of the several estates going through, and the large amount of preliminary work necessary before their respective appointed days can be arranged, it is regretted that it is impossible to give the Deputy the information he asked for in the last paragraph of his question.