asked the Minister for Finance if he will state in respect of the valuation of agricultural land under the Valuation (Ireland) Act, 1852, (a) the units and prices of agricultural produce in 1852, (b) the corresponding current prices, (c) the approximate yield per acre of each item of agricultural produce in 1852 and 1957, and (d) the estimated increase or decrease per £ of valuation which would be effected by substituting 1957 yields and prices for 1852 yields and prices.
Written Answers. - Valuation of Agricultural Land.
(a) The scale of agricultural prices by reference to which the valuation of land was made under the Valuation (Ireland) Act, 1852, is set out in Section 11 of the Act.
(b) The average prices of agricultural products at fairs and markets in 1957 are set out on page 60 of the Irish Trade Journal and Statistical Bulletin for March, 1958. The list of products does not, however, include flax.
(c) Figures for the estimated yield per acre of wheat, oats, barley and flax in 1852 are given on page 6 of "Agricultural Statistics 1847-1926". The estimated yields per acre for wheat, oats and barley in 1957 are given on page 55 of the Irish Trade Journal and Statistical Bulletin for March, 1958. Figures for the yield per acre of butter, beef, mutton and pork in 1852 or 1957 or for the yield of flax per acre in 1957 are not available.
(d) As a good deal of the necessary basic information is not available the calculation required by the Deputy cannot be made.
The publications mentioned above may be consulted in the Oireachtas Library.