asked the Minister for Lands and Fisheries if he will circulate a return showing the number, extent, and valuation of resumed holdings in process of acquisition by the Land Commission in each county in the Saorstát as on 31st March, 1931, and the total price paid for such holdings.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Resumed Holdings in Saorstát.
The compilation of such a return as the Deputy asks for would involve considerable time and labour on the part of the Land Commission staff and the interruption of their normal duties and I do not see any good purpose to be served by its circulation. If it will meet the Deputy's wishes I am prepared, however, to supply him with a return of the total number of holdings actually resumed by the Land Commission in each county, as this can be prepared without difficulty from the available statistics. On the other hand, the compilation of a return of the cases in process of resumption would involve a case to case examination of a large number of holdings in various stages of acquisition and I cannot undertake to supply such a return. The Land Commission staff are fully engaged on the colossal task set them by the Land Act, 1931, and I would require very strong reasons before adding anything to their burden at the present time.