(Clare) asked the Minister for Lands if he will state if the Irish Land Commission proposes to acquire and distribute land in the Bel-harbour district in North Clare; how many acres are available for acquisition and distribution in and about that district and also at what stage proceedings are in respect of the acquisition and distribution of any land in and about North Clare generally.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - North Clare Lands.
Mr. Hogan
The statistics of the Land Commission in regard to the acquisition and the division of land are kept by counties, not by districts, and a considerable amount of research and a case to case examination of files would be necessary before the situation in a particular district could be set out in the manner desired by the Deputy. The Deputy may take it, however, that the Land Commission proposes to acquire land for the relief of congestion in every district in which suitable land is available.
In County Clare as a whole some 28,000 acres of untenanted land are at present inspected or in course of inspection with a view to acquisition and division under the Land Acts, 1923-33. Over 2,000 acres are in definite course of acquisition (mostly in the northern portion of the county). In addition, some 2,000 acres of lands already acquired in County Clare are in hands for division. That makes a total of 32,000 acres available or under consideration for division in County Clare at present.
The Land Commission have already divided under the Land Acts 1923-33 a total of nearly 20,000 acres in County Clare among some 1,300 allottees.
If the Deputy will give me particulars of any estates in the Bel-harbour district in which he may be interested I shall have inquiries made as to any relative proceedings by the Land Commission.