asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the present policy of the Land Commission in relation to land division; whether they have resumed or intend to resume the pre-1939 policy of acquiring and subdividing untenanted land; or whether they assent to the sale, without restriction, of any kind of occupied and unoccupied holdings to aliens or foreign purchasers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Division of Land.
Mr. Boland
The policy of land division for the relief of congestion, although never wholly suspended was, through force of circumstances, very considerably curtailed during the period of the emergency and as circumstances permit it will again be expanded. Already, as a result of the return of some of the staff, acquisition proceedings have been resumed in the scheduled congested districts but I am unable to say when it may be possible to resume proceedings in the other counties. Immediate difficulties are created by the shortage of building materials, the lack of sufficient trained staff and the prevailing high prices of land and, as for the outlook in general, I have frequently explained that, with the available reserve of suitable land drying up, it cannot be expected that land division will be possible in the future at anything approaching the rate to which we were accustomed in pre-war years. The answer to the third part of the Deputy's question is in the negative. As regards private sales of land, the Land Commission have no power to interfere with most of the transactions which the Deputy seems to have in mind. Such sales, nevertheless, do not remove the land in question from the scope of possible future action by the Land Commission in exercise of their compulsory powers under the Land Acts for the acquisition of land for division.
Is it a fact that the main reason for suspending land acquisition activity in the Midlands is that the Government foolishly hope that land will go back to the pre-war price? Does the acting Minister think that will happen? For instance, would his own salary go back to the pre-war figure?
Is there any hope that in the immediate future the commissioners will resume the acquisition of land in the Midland area?
Mr. Boland
On the question of the general value of money, I am not prepared to answer. As far as my salary is concerned, I do not know how long I will have it.