asked the Minister for Lands if he will state (a) the numbers of public auctions of land attended by officials of his Department between 1st May, 1951, and 1st May, 1952; (b) the number of holdings bid for; (c) the number of holdings purchased (i) in the Republic and (ii) in each county, and (d) the total acreage purchased and the total price paid.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Public Auctions of Land.
In the period in question the Land Commission negotiated for the purchase of 20 holdings under Section 27, Land Act, 1950. The negotiations were successful in seven cases, viz., four in Roscommon, two in Mayo and one in Galway. These holdings comprised 215 acres and were bought for £6,552. None of the holdings was bought at a public auction although the Land Commission attended at five auctions and bid at three. I might add that the power of purchase under Section 27 is limited to land required for either of two specific purposes.
Would the Minister agree that the purpose of the 1950 Land Act was to enable the Land Commission to enter into the public market and secure holdings and relieve congestion as quickly as possible? Since that was the reason the Act was passed, does the Minister not consider the method adopted by the Land Commission since as being one to make a complete joke of the 1950 Act? Does the Minister agree or disagree that in their approach to the 1950 Act the Land Commission have not carried out the wishes of the Act, the speeding up of the work of relieving congestion? Does he admit they delayed that work?
Would the Minister be good enough to tell us to what use the lands purchased were put? Was it for migrants or rearrangement?
The Deputy will have to put down a question about that.
The area involved is not very big.
The acquisition of these holdings is, as I have said, reserved for either the provision of new holdings for migrants or the rearrangement of lands held in rundale or in mixed plots. If Deputies have suggestions as to how the procedure complained of could be improved, I would be glad to have them examined.
Is it not a fact that hundreds of auctions have taken place at which it was the duty of the Land Commission to attend? In the figures given by the Minister, since May, 1951, to May, 1952, none of the holdings was bought at a public auction. Seven holdings were purchased, four in Roscommon and three in County Mayo. This is the sole effort of the Land Commission under the 1950 Act to relieve congestion in the West of Ireland. Does the Minister not now agree that the Land Commission has not carried out the wishes of this House when the Act was being passed?
Deputy McQuillan should be well aware by now that the Land Commission is a defunct body.