asked the Minister for Lands, if he will state (a) the total amount of land on the hands of the Land Commission acquired for the purposes of division; (b) the total amount of this land at present under cultivation; (c) the average amount realised per acre for such land let for tillage by conacre this year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land for Division and Cultivation.
The amount of land on the hands of the Land Commission varies from day to day, according as acquired lands are divided and new lands acquired, and it is not practicable to give precise figures. Round about 90,000 acres probably represents the area acquired under the Land Acts, 1923-39 at present in hands for division, of which about two-thirds would consist of mountain, moor and turbary, difficult to dispose of and most of it carried over from year to year. The balance would be arable and pasture land, and of this less than half would be classed as arable.
The latest available figures of tillage lettings (made up a few months ago) show that out of an arable area of about 14,000 acres some 5,200 acres had been let for tillage, or about 37 per cent.
The average amount realised per acre for conacre lettings is not readily available and the rents vary so widely according to the quality and situation of the land that such an average would have no real significance.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, can he give us any idea at all of the amount realised? Can he give an approximate figure?
Conacre rents may vary between the wide limits of £1 and £10 per Irish acre.
There is no chance of getting any information?
I am afraid not. If the Deputy has any particular case in mind in which he is interested, I should be glad if he would communicate with me, but owing to shortage of staff in the Land Commission I am afraid I cannot detail staff to make up those figures generally.
What I want to find out is the amount generally realised from land set for conacre by the Land Commission. I do not want an accurate figure; I want an approximate figure.
I am afraid it would take too much official time to compile the figure, and I do not see what value it would be. The Deputy must realise that the figure for land of poor quality in certain areas would be very low, and for land of excellent quality in the midland counties would be fairly high.
Is not the land set by auctioneers?
Yes.
And have not those auctioneers returned the figures? It should not be a very difficult job for an official to tot them up and take an average on those figures. I do not think the Minister can suggest that that would take a lot of time.