asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the total area of land reclaimed under the land project in respect of which the Department have undertaken to do the work and the farmer undertaken to contribute £12 per acre and in respect of which the work has been completed; and, further, if he will state the average total cost per acre of reclaiming the aforementioned land.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Reclamation.
In regard to the first part of the question, the usual periodical statistical return for members of the Oireachtas is in course of preparation and will be available in about a week. This return will, I trust, supply the information asked for by the Deputy. As regards the second part of the question, the average cost of work as between different holdings and different types of land varies very considerably, and to be of value any figure furnished must be related to the type of work involved and the nature of the land to be reclaimed. To give a figure showing the overall average cost per acre without also giving relevant descriptive particulars would, I feel, be misleading and would, therefore, not be in the best interests of the working of the land project.
Could the Minister say if the statistical returns will be circulated to all Deputies?
Mr. Walsh
Yes.