I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £1,188,080 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1960, 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 1930; No. 11 of 1931; Nos. 33 and 38 of 1933; No. 11 of 1934; No. 41 of 1936; No. 26 of 1939; No. 12 of 1946; No. 25 of 1949; No. 16 of 1950; No. 18 of 1953; and No. 21 of 1954).
At the outset, I would like to refer to the more important Sub-heads of the Estimate. I shall also describe in some detail the work done.
The provision for salaries, wages and allowances shows an increase of £14,723. Whilst a staff reduction of 11 was effected during the year, through progressive diminution in vesting work, the resultant saving is more than offset by the general increase in Civil Service remuneration and normal incremental advances. The staff reduction has certainly not affected the tempo of land settlement which has increased significantly in the past year.
Sub-heads H1 to H4 represent the taxpayers' annual recurring contribution towards the service of land purchase debt, incurred through the issue of land bonds since 1923. The aggregate of these four sub-heads amounts to £872,350 and is about 42% of the net total of the Estimate. The increase of £17,300 in this group of sub-heads, as compared with last year, arises almost entirely from the halving of annuities on new allotments. The amount required this year to make good deficiencies in the Land Bond Fund arising from the statutory revision of annuities in 1933 is approximately £737,000. The current Land Bond interest rate is 5½% and the current annuity rate is 5¾%.
The funds required to carry out improvements works on estates being divided in the course of land settlement are provided under Sub-head I, the proposed charge on which, that is to say, £639,605, represents about 30% of the net total of the Estimate. These improvement works, which are an essential feature of land settlement, include the provision of dwellinghouses and out-offices on new holdings and the construction of roads, fences and drains, as well as turbary development and embankment works, etc. Last year, a sum of £605.105 was originally provided for Sub-head I but was increased by £45,000 by the supplementary estimate in the revised figure of £650,105. For valid comparison, this is the figure to be set against the current estimate of £639,605—giving a decrease of £10,500. The actual expenditure on improvements last year was £648,161. There is no question of reducing the volume of improvement works. If the current estimate of £639,605 should prove inadequate, I would have no hesitation in putting forward revised expenditure proposals.
Sub-head R provides a limited amount of money to finance the purchase of land for cash in the open market pursuant to Section 27 of the Land Act, 1950. Application of the Section is confined to lands required for migrants or to facilitate re-arrangement of lands held in rundale or intermixed plots. When moving last year's Estimate, I drew attention to the fact that operations under this Sub-head were at a standstill, as an economy measure, between July, 1956, and March, 1958, and I stated that I had authorised the reopening of the business, on a trial basis, at about the same level of funds as had been formerly provided. I am glad to say that the results have been encouraging. During the year ended the 31st March last, the Land Commission reached agreement with vendors of land for the purchase for cash of 16 properties comprising 845 acres at an aggregate purchase price of £39,065. Possession of 7 of these properties, comprising 418 acres, purchased for £21,185, was obtained during the year. Possession of the other 9 properties comprising 427 acres is pending. From 1950 up to 31st March, 1959, possession has been obtained of 57 holdings comprising 2,327 acres and a total expenditure of £75,818 has been incurred under Section 27 of the Land Act, 1950. For the current year, a repeat of last year's provision of £25,000 has been included for Sub-head R.
Gratuities payable under Section 29 of the Land Act, 1950, to persons displaced from employment through land settlement operations, are provided under Sub-head S. Ex-employees capable of farming operations are eligible for holdings, and the total of these gratuities varies from year to year, depending on the type and volume of employment on the acreage being currently divided. Due to the speed-up in allotment of lands on hands, the amount originally provided last year, that is to say £1,500, proved inadequate and a supplementary £3,500 was voted. Expenditure under sub-head S last year amounted to £4,791 which provided gratuities for 43 displaced employees. A total of £19,434 has been paid by the Land Commission by way of gratuities to 180 ex-employees since the system of gratuities was first introduced in 1950.
The other sub-heads show little change from the previous year and it is scarcely necessary to comment on them individually at this stage. I should say, however, that this is probably the last occasion on which this Estimate will be presented in its current form. A simplified format for the Lands Estimate, reducing the number of sub-heads by half, has recently been settled with the Committee of Public Accounts.
After this financial outline, I shall now give the main land settlement statistics illustrating the exceptionally good progress made last year. Intake of land by the Land Commission was 33,000 acres—the second best since 1948/49 and 23% above the ten year average for 1948/49 to 1957/58, the average being 26,703 acres. Allotment of land totalled 57,000 acres—by far the largest acreage for ten years and 90% above the same ten year average. 650 re-arrangements were effected, the second best since 1948/49 and 78% above the ten year average. The number of migrants rose to 129 and was the third best since 1948/49 and 43% above the ten year period.
I pay a tribute to the Land Commission staff, whose numbers have not increased, for their splendid performance. The simplification of procedure in acquisition is, of course, contributing very considerably to the achievement. I should say that on the 31st March, 1957, there were 45,000 acres of arable land in the hands of the Land Commission, of which 22,000 acres were on hands for two years or over. On the 31st March, 1959, the corresponding figures were: arable land on hands 32,000 acres, of which 13,000 acres were in the possession of the Commission for two years or over. It is hoped to allocate all arable lands on hands for over two years by April, 1960, but another year may be required.
Altogether, over two thousand three hundred industrious uneconomic smallholder families have benefited last year, substantially and permanently, for the good not only of themselves, but of the general community. May I remind the House that the direct cost of land settlement to the taxpayer varies from £36 to £87 per acre and constitutes a very great gift to the beneficiaries? In any event, the false rumours spread by half a dozen trouble makers regarding my attitude to land settlement should be dispelled by this fine record.
Future activity depends on the available intake of badly worked or voluntarily offered land, and nobody can foresee the future. I should state that farm competence is steadily improving year by year. Migration itself is always difficult to ensure and in certain areas it is becoming more difficult to find migrants (a) who will make good use of land and (b) who, by their migration, will enable re-arrangement on a reasonably effective scale to be possible.
According to the latest estimate, there are now about 7,500 unvested intermixed holdings outstanding for re-arrangement, over 4,000 having been re-arranged since 1950. At the average output over the past five years, it would take about 14 years more to complete the re-arrangement of unvested holdings.
Land settlement operations are well under way for the current year and the present level of activity holds good prospects of continuing the impressive achievements.
On the tenanted land side, there was continued progress towards completion of land purchase by the revesting of tenanted holdings. Under the Land Acts, 1923-54, more than 112,000 tenanted holdings vested in the Land Commission for ultimate resale to the tenants. With the revesting of a further 1,029 holdings during the past year, the number of these cases awaiting final resale now stands at about 10,000 holdings, equivalent to a 9 per cent. residue. This important work of tenanted land-purchase has virtually concluded in fourteen counties, viz. Carlow, Cavan, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow. In effect, this means that more than 90 per cent. of all tenanted holdings vested in the Land Commission under the Land Act, 1923, and subsequent Acts have now been resold to the sitting tenants. The 10,000 holdings outstanding under the Land Acts, 1923-54, to which must be added a residue of 3,500 holdings on estates of the former Congested Districts Board, together constitute the hard core of difficult tenanted land vested in the Land Commission and pending for resale to tenant-purchasers.
The re-arrangement of intermixed holdings, as a feature of land settlement, has been described so often in this House that there is scarcely any need for me at this stage to describe it in detail. But I want to repeat that success in re-arrangement work is entirely dependent on the fullest degree of co-operation among the tenants themselves and for this reason the number of holdings which can be re-arranged in any particular year is primarily within the control of the tenants. It is essential, therefore, that tenants should, in their own interest, co-operate fully with the Land Commission Inspectors in the preparation of re-arrangement schemes. I feel that the results achieved during the past year may be taken as an indication that the need for this co-operation and the benefits to be derived from it are now becoming more apparent to tenants and I look forward confidently to even better results in the future.
During the past year, 209 new dwellinghouses and 273 new out-offices were built by or with assistance from the Land Commission, the total expenditure on building construction amounting to approximately £279,000. At present, four prototype dwellinghouses to improved designs are under construction by direct labour. These dwellinghouses, when completed very soon, will be carefully examined with a view to determining the most suitabe designs for adoption by the Land Commission in future.
Other notable achievements during the year were the provision of 953 rights of turbary and the vesting of a total of 5,531 properties, comprising holdings, parcels and rights of turbary, in tenants and allottees.
I should make clear again the principles upon which the work of the Land Commission is based so that no one can have any false notions about the law that prevails. We disagree on many matters in this House but for many years there has been virtual unanimity on the fundamental principles of land settlement.
The Land Commission is the organ of government exercising land settlement functions within the Republic. It is a statutory body, operating under the Constitution, pursuant to the Land Acts passed by the Oireachtas. The proceedings of the Land Commission are analogous to the judicial process, being based on the principle of a fair hearing for all interests, whether existing landowners or applicants for land. Neither the Government nor the Minister for Lands will intervene against the impartial decisions of the Land Commission in any of the excepted matters, including acquisition and land division, which by the Land Acts of 1933 and 1950 have been placed by the Oireachtas within the jurisdiction of the Land Commissioners.
The object of the Land Commission is to settle in economic security as many families upon the land as practicable and within this context almost 1.5 million acres have been allotted since 1923 in some 95,000 allotments —a very remarkable achievement involving a tremendous volume of activity over the years.
I wish to pay tribute to the vast overwhelming majority of those interested in land division who recognise that the Land Commission works most expeditiously where there is no agitation and no tough pressure group of any kind. I know that Deputies point out the futility of all such action. The fact is that the Land Commission will not be coerced by any kind of agitation whatever—peaceful or otherwise. A notification by the Deputies or other interested persons of the local uneconomic land holders' views is sufficient to ensure the fullest consideration. As Deputies well know a threatening agitation will only bring about the cessation of Land Commission proceedings.
In relation to the Land Commission's work, a number of statements have been made with regard to the purchase of land by aliens. This whole question was investigated in 1950. Land Inspectors then reported that 50,000 acres of land, including only medium and large farms, had been bought during the previous decade—mostly in four counties—by 200 persons who by their names were believed to be aliens. Quite a number were, in fact, Irishmen returning from abroad. Much of this land has since been sold. Many of the properties are of residential type not distinctly suitable for land division but providing valuable employment. In the words of Deputy Blowick, when Minister, at the 1940-50 rate of purchase, it would take 2,400 years to reoccupy the country. The total for that 10 years came to less than the current year's land division. Since 1950, no evidence has come to hand that such purchases are significant.
The Government's policy is clear. There must be some reasonable reciprocity of privilege in regard to property purchase. If the purchase by aliens of land suitable for land division suddenly mounted, the Government would take action.
We cannot play a full part in the modern world, cannot attract tourists, new technical skills or industrial capital, unless we take a sane commonsense view of land ownership, particularly when it does not affect the general pattern of land tenure. Isolationism has no place in modern society and banging doors on people will achieve nothing. The attitude of the vast majority of our people in every area towards those who come here is eloquent testimony of what I have said.
Part of this undesirable propaganda arose from a single case of a farm bought by a foreign company where over 50 men are employed. In this case, it is well known that the entire money turnover remains in this country in wages, purchases and general outlay. No other representations whatever have been received from any part of Ireland that foreigners are buying land en masse. If occasional purchases are made, the local inhabitants obviously accept those arriving with general satisfaction.
Many proposals come forward from time to time involving radical changes in Land Commission policy. Most of them have been the subject of comment in the House from time to time and the Minister for Lands of the day has pointed out the objections. They include the limitation of the size of farms, wholesale bidding by the Land Commission at auctions irrespective of the owners' wishes and a variety of proposals involving compulsory purchase of well-worked land.
In relation to this type of proposal, the objections in the view of the Government are overwhelming. They would involve the following changes: first, the negation of the right of free sale; secondly, the segregation of the farming community into opposing groups; and thirdly, the discouragement of high output farms by limiting ambition.
Few Deputies in this House, faced with the urgent need for increasing production, have suggested that ambitious successful farmers may not invest in additional land and provide holdings for their children. Any artificial chessboarding of the country would impose a strait-jacket on the pattern of land tenure which is following upon traditional and world trends. Farmers, here as elsewhere, vary in competence and with this the pattern of land ownership changes.
To be distinguished from more radical proposals is the extension of the classes of persons to whom land may be allotted. While I acknowledge the merits of wide distribution of ownership, so long as this House accepts as the major objective the relief of intense congestion in the Western and in other areas, any extension in the classes of persons to whom land is in practice allotted will slow down the fulfilment of this objective. Of the thirteen thousand unvested holdings, there yet remain about 7,500 in intermixed plots waiting to be re-arranged and enlarged through the aid of essential migration schemes.
Western congestion is typified by one estate where 19 holdings comprised 257 intermixed strips of land, the average valuation per holding being only £3 15s. In general, unless a proportion of these small holders can be migrated, there is no hope of compacting and enlarging the remainder. This applies also to some Eastern pockets of congestion. Moreover, experience shows that, with some laudable exceptions, the existing smallholder is best qualified to be given land. The standard of competence required by the Land Commission from allottees has been raised.
In the past two years, there have been a few regrettable incidents of protest against migration. I trust that Deputies will continue to exercise their customary moderating influence by making clear the overriding unity of the country and the major objective of Land Commission policy.
Proposals for radical changes in land settlement policy have been briefly desscribed. They arise in some cases from a genuine idealistic belief in a fairly uniform small farm economy; other proposals are contrary to the spirit of the Constitution; still others arise because of local objections to certain types of land transactions which get publicity but are not representative of general land sales throughout the State. A few large farms getting larger are noticed but not the reverse process.
Administratively, if applied effectively, these proposals would involve vastly increasing the State machine while, at the same time, imposing heavy taxation burdens. All the proposals, extreme and moderate, have been mooted previously at one time or another; yet, general policy directives in the last ten years in regard to acquisition and distribution are in force with the knowledge of the Dáil as a whole.
Like my predecessors, I would welcome proposals that would facilitate the work of the Land Commission and which do not immediately raise insuperable problems of the kind referred to. I should point out, as have my predecessors, that the Land Commission's work would be far more difficult if there were contentious differences of policy in the House. I particularly welcome constructive criticism of the Land Commission Administration.
The operations of the Land Commission have been taking place at a time when irreversible changes in the rural economy have long been evident. Farms of under 30 acres have been steadily diminishing in number—long before the demand for labour in England was accentuated, long before the post-war movement to secure a near English standard of living reached its maximum phase. The Land Commission has contributed to this trend by enlargements in the case of the small farm.
For a considerable period, farms of from 30 to 150 acres or 200 acres have been steadily increasing in numbers. Total numbers on the land have been reduced steadily on all farms both here and in virtually all countries, leaving a very much higher income per head for those remaining. It may be interesting to point out that Ireland has not by any means the highest rate of exodus from the land. There are four other countries in Europe, namely, France, Sweden, Denmark and Norway where the exodus from the land has been more intense than here. The reduced number of female relatives left on the smaller farms and even medium sized farms reveals quite clearly one major cause for the continued growth in the number of medium sized farms.
Whenever we may be tempted to think of drastically altering the land pattern, the family farm income figures should be quoted because they have a fundamental importance. On the 15 to 30 acre farms the average family farm income in 1957 ranged from £9 9s. Od. to £17 6s. Od. per acre and, even reckoning the highest figures, it is perfectly obvious that the pressure is towards securing a much higher income per head to ensure a better standard of living.
The Farm Survey reveals a very wide differentiation in living standards. A proportion of 15-acre farms have the incomes of farmers with double the amount of land. More, we hope, will follow their example. Means are available to uneconomic holders for their social betterment. A considerable number have been doubling and trebling their means by applying modern methods to their husbandry.
The maintenance of the chief members of a family on a small farm, the strengthening of the smaller farm owners' economy can be assisted by the present schemes now in operation. If farm income grows, then more can be employed in farm services and in industry; this will, in turn, employ still more people providing goods and services for the additional industrial workers. Everyone hopes that a basic stability will be reached and we all hope that increased production will hasten the day.
The Land Commission each year makes a substantial contribution to land settlement, ensuring that badly worked land and voluntarily offered lands are brought to the aid of the small holders, thus preserving the largest number of rural families possible. Its very operations reduce the pool of badly worked land as many owners, when apprised of the Land Commission's interest, by one means or another improve the working of their lands.
The Land Commission derives its power from legislation passed in 1923 and 1933, with some amendments thereafter. Successive Ministers have maintained the policy whose object is to provide as many economic holdings as possible, always having regard to the good husbandry of the owners whose lands might be acquired and thus to relieve as much congestion as practicable. Moreover, in successive years, allowances have had to be made in cases where acquisition would cause extreme hardship.
The Land Commission has never attempted to prevent our farming community, living in a free Ireland, from changing the land pattern themselves through their efforts and industry. Any attempt to enforce an ideal pattern of land ownership or set limits upon a farmer's right to own land well worked would divide the farming community with disastrous results.
When introducing this Estimate last year, I referred to the arrears of acquisition inspections confronting the Land Commission at 1st April, 1957. Briefly, the position was that a total of 938 properties awaited inspection at 1st April, 1957, a number far in excess of what the Land Commission Inspectors could hope to deal with expeditiously, bearing in mind that there were 45,000 acres of arable lands on hands awaiting the preparation of allotment schemes.
I can now state that the arrears of acquisition inspections were entirely overtaken by November last and the temporary restriction on new inspections had then completely lapsed, with a reversion to normal acquisition activity throughout all districts. The temporary restriction did not apply at all to lands offered voluntarily to the Land Commission.
At this point I should like to refer briefly to the question of water supplies for allottees of Land Commission farms. The Land Commission are much concerned to ensure that allottees have satisfactory water supplies for farming and domestic purposes. Many rural Deputies know that the Land Commission have had their own well-boring machinery on this work for several years past. The first of these well-boring plants went into operation in 1948, a second in 1952 and two more in 1955. With these four machines, 300 wells have been completed up to 31st March last. While isolated cases of difficulty have occurred, results generally have been highly satisfactory. There has been an unavoidable time-lag in providing wells in some cases and, in an endeavour to speed up the programme, the Land Commission are now employing well-boring contractors in addition to the continued use of their own machinery.
When the question of Shannon flooding was before the Dáil last November, it was stated that examination of the many technical, legal and administrative problems involved in the Land Commission scheme was well advanced and that the Land Commission hoped to be in a position to commence work on the ground in the Spring of this year. I am glad to say that work has started on this scheme and good progress is being made. I would emphasise that the Land Commission scheme is not a scheme of flood-control. Its aim is to give relief from the hazards of flooding, so far as this can be done, by the provision of new buildings on safer sites together with secure stands for stock against the risk of abnormal floods. Reconstruction of some existing buildings and the raising of approach roads and yards are also involved.
In the four counties concerned, viz., Roscommon, Galway, Westmeath and Offaly, the scheme envisages the provision of a total of sixty new dwellinghouses and sixty-one new outoffices, as well as the reconstruction of fifteen existing dwellinghouses and twenty outoffices and the raising of approach roads and yards. In some cases the holdings contain safe sites for buildings but others do not. Negotiations are being carried out with the occupiers and erection of buildings will proceed as speedily as possible. Where holdings do not contain safe building sites and stands for stock, land re-settlement will be involved. In one district, negotiations with prospective migrants have concluded; in two districts suitable lands have recently been allotted to provide secure stands for stock, and in the remaining district enquiries for suitable land to facilitate re-siting of buildings are continuing and will be pressed to conclusion as speedily as possible. Several of the buildings will have to be constructed on concrete rafts because of foundation difficulties. The Land Commission Inspectors have consulted Bord na Móna experts and with their assistance—which is gratefully acknowledged — suitable rafts have been designed and taken to construction stage as a preliminary to seeking tenders for the erection of buildings.
It will be clear from this that the relief measures are well under way. It will also be obvious that a high degree of co-operation from the farmers concerned is vitally necessary if the scheme is to be brought to successful conclusion.
In September last, responsibility for the administration of the Game Preservation Act, 1930, and for the implementation of Government policy in regard to game preservation and promotion, passed from the Department of Justice to the Department of Lands and is being dealt with by the Land Commission. Even before this formal transfer, however, my Department, in view of its extensive holdings of shooting rights, had been actively associated with the movement for game promotion, in co-operation with Regional Game Councils sponsored by rural and sporting organisations under the aegis of the St. Hubert Club of Ireland. As the game resources of this country, allied to its fishing potentialities, comprise one of our major assets in the promotion of the tourist industry, development of the country's game potential is manifestly a matter of great importance for the national economy. This development may be helped considerably by the setting up of a National Game Authority and proposals to that end are under consideration.
When moving this Estimate last year, I referred to the scope which would be provided for progressive young landless farmers, seeking to establish themselves on the land, if landowners who found themselves obliged to let lands would consider making lettings for longer periods than the customary conacre and 11 months periods. At that time I stated that the Land Commission will readily grant approval to suitable letting contracts and I ensured that the matter was given wide Press and radio publicity. The response has been negligible.
The response during the past 12 months to the short educational courses for prospective migrants, which I described a year ago, although somewhat better than in the previous year —25 attending this year, compared with only eight the previous year—is still disappointing. These fortnightly courses, held at Athenry Agricultural School by arrangement with the Department of Agriculture and costing a nominal £2 a week per individual for maintenance, are designed to give prospective migrants an opportunity to extend their knowledge of modern farming methods with a view to ensuring full utilisation of their new holdings. In the final selection of migrants, preference is given to those who attend the courses. This year, in addition to providing short courses at Atherny for prospective migrants, the possibility of arranging a course there, after next harvest, for migrants already installed is being explored.
It might be as well at this stage if I mention a point which has previously arisen on this Estimate. Last year, reference was made to a difficulty of Land Commission tenants in obtaining water and sanitation grants from the Department of Local Government. This difficulty has since been remedied.
To conclude my observations on the remarkably successful operations of the Land Commission in 1958/59, I feel that I may draw the attention of the House to a significant anniversary. The May/June 1958 collection gale marked the completion of 25 years of the halving of annuities effected by the Land Act, 1933. It is appropriate, therefore, that I should conclude this review with a reference to the annuity position. I have had before me a full analysis of the payment record since 1933. Out of a collectable total of £61,925,475 for the 25 years since the November/December 1933 gale, the Land Commission have, in fact, collected £61,876,771 to the latest accounting date, that is 31st January, 1959, leaving arrears outstanding at that date of only £48,704 for the 25 year period. This represents a successful collection of 99.92 per cent., the arrears being less than one-twelfth of one per cent.
Counties in which the arrears is even less than .08 per cent. of the collectable are Carlow, Cavan, Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Longford, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Westmeath and Wexford. This remarkably healthy state of annuity payment is one of which the farming community can well be proud. It is only right that I take this opportunity to pay a well-deserved tribute to the Irish farmers for the promptitude with which they have honoured their annuity obligations since 1933. It is hardly necessary to repeat that the halving of the land annuities in 1933, did not lengthen the repayment period.
