I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £780,150 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1948, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Offices of the Minister for Lands and of the Irish Land Commission (44 & 45 Vict., c. 49, sec. 46, and c. 71, sec. 4; 48 & 49 Vict., c. 73, secs. 17, 18 and 20; 54 & 55 Vict., c. 48; 3 Edw. 7, c. 37; 7 Edw. 7, c. 38 and c. 56; 9 Edw. 7, c.42; Nos. 27 and 42 of 1923; No. 25 of 1925; No. 11 of 1926; No. 19 of 1927; No. 31 of 1929; No. 11 of 1931; Nos. 33 and 38 of 1933; No. 11 of 1934; No. 41 of 1936; No. 26 of 1939; and No. 12 of 1946).
The net Estimate for Lands for the financial year 1947-48 represents an increase of £44,510 over the amount voted for last year. This increase is almost entirely accounted for in sub-heads A and D. Apart from these increases, the items in the present Estimate closely correspond with last year's provisions, the greatest disparities being the decrease of £2,000 in sub-head B, for travelling expenses, and the increase of £500 in sub-head N, for advances to provide funds for the maintenance of embankments or other works. Last year's provision for travelling expenses, £29,000, represented an increase of £4,000 over the preceding year's figure. It proved to be in excess of requirements. The reduction of £2,000 this year is proposed solely as a measure of more precise estimation. It in no way implies a decrease in activities.
The increase of £500 in sub-head N is required to meet the initial cost of certain embankment maintenance funds which are in process of creation in connection with land-purchase proceedings. Advances from sub-head N are repaid by tenant purchasers in the same way as advances for the purchase of land under the Land Acts. The only other noticeable increases are £300 in sub-head F, for telegrams and telephones, and £200 in sub-head C, for incidental expenses. The increase in incidental expenses arises mainly through anticipated higher expenditure on advertisements.
Sub-head I, improvement of estates, etc., remains unchanged at last year's figure. The continued shortage of building and other materials greatly affects the Land Commission's potential output upon land division. Last year, the expenditure under sub-head I was approximately £196,000. In prevailing circumstances the sum of £254,800 proposed in the present Estimate is considered to be the maximum amount that could usefully be expended.
More than one-half of the entire Estimate is allocated to the allied sub-heads H (1), H (2), H (3) and H (4) which are related to making good the deficiencies in the Land Bond Fund. These deficiencies chiefly arise through the halving of tenant-purchasers' annuities and through other State aids to land-purchase, for example, the costs fund and statutory contributions given by way of bonus to vendors of estates over and above the prices repayable by tenant-purchasers. Some slight deficiency also occurs in the Land Bond Fund as a result of the writing-off of annuities on land permanently submerged as a result of erosion.
Some of the other sub-heads involve token amounts only which have been inserted to meet possible but unlikely contingencies. The remainder scarcely call for explanation as the changes this year are in no way out of the ordinary.
Last year's trying weather seriously affected the Land Commission's activities. Farmers throughout the country were engaged long after the usual season in a superhuman struggle to save the harvest and many of the Land Commission's staff turned in the time of crisis from their ordinary duties and gave valuable assistance in the fields and in organising the campaign for volunteer workers. Almost 800 employees, and this includes head-quarters staff as well as labourers, went to the assistance of the farmers for an aggregate of almost 7,000 working days. I take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the work done by the staff of my Department in association with the magnificent achievement of the farmers during last harvest time.
While we hoped 12 months ago that some expansion in the development of land settlement would follow the apparent easing of emergency conditions, many unpredictable difficulties arose that dashed the hope. The weather during the early months of the year was such as to make travel in rural areas most difficult and inspections were in many cases quite impossible. There was also a further brake on progress in the form of test litigation challenging the Land Commission's power to resume land. That issue is still sub judice. Precise figures for land division during the past year are not yet available but roughly 9,000 acres were acquired and roughly 15,000 acres were divided among about 1,400 allottees.
In one very important sphere the Land Commission succeeded in making considerable progress. I am referring to the vesting of lands in tenants and allottees. Altogether 10,192 holdings and allotments were vested as compared with 6,769 vested during the previous year. This time last year, I stressed the paramount need for accelerated vesting and I do so again this year as a very considerable amount of this work remains to be performed.
Some 65,000 holdings of tenanted land, 43,000 allotments of untenanted land and 15,000 holdings on Congested Districts Board estates, making a total of 123,000, remain to be revested. Even last year's great effort is dwarfed by this total, but it is confidently hoped to expand the output still further through the recruitment and training of additional staff for which provision was originally made in last year's Estimate. Delay in vesting land in tenants and in allottees who have proved satisfactory means that the Land Commission's work in relation to such land is only partially completed. Deputies are well aware that the existence of unfinished jobs in any business leads to waste and dissatisfaction. Commonsense and good organisation alike demand that we should press on as quickly as possible with the completion of the Land Commission's uncompleted undertakings. In this way only can the Land Commission eventually concentrate on their biggest remaining task—the important and complex work of alleviating congestion and improving rundale holdings.
During the past year close attention was paid to the needs of the congested districts. Despite the bad weather, numerous inquiries and inspections were carried out there. The Land Commission are keenly alive to the need for completing the work on the remaining Congested Districts Board estates. Those estates, to a large extent, are acutely congested, and migration is the only key to a solution. But migration on a sufficient scale is impossible while the supply of building materials is restricted. The long years of emergency also brought another difficulty in their train, as they depleted the ranks of experienced inspectors. Time alone will make good that loss.
As far as conditions permit, it is proposed for the coming year to concentrate again on the congested districts and the problem is under close examination. We want to avoid as much as possible the dissipation of the Land Commission's restricted potential and we are fully alive to the danger of permitting the problem to be again submerged as this will tend to add to the difficulties of its solution. The Land Commission's capacity for work is, however, limited like the capacity of each and every one of us, and if too much is attempted when general conditions are unfavourable no real progress can be achieved.
During coming months, also, we look forward to helping the national fuel production effort. Surplus turbary on the Land Commission's hands will be made available for letting wherever there is demand and no effort will be spared in arranging necessary development works.
The preparation of schemes for the final allocation of acquired lands in all counties will be pressed forward to the limit of the Land Commission's capacity but in this work, too, the shortage of materials and of experienced inspectors provides a big handicap.
Inspections into the user of allotments will also be continued. I am glad to be able to tell Deputies that last year's Land Act has already had a beneficial effect. I hope that those allottees who still shirk their responsibilities to the community will even at this stage turn over a new leaf. The Land Commission have no wish to deprive any allottee of his holding but if he fails to make the requisite effort, there will be no other alternative.
I shall bring this statement to a close with the usual brief account about the payment of land annuities. The position is very satisfactory. The total arrears on 1st April, 1947, was £279,212 representing less than 1 per cent. of the total amount collectable.