asked the Minister for Lands (1) when the Reports of the Land Commission for the years ended 31st March, 1960, and 31st March, 1961, will be published, and the reason for the delay in publishing them; (2) how many holdings were vested in the years ended 31st March, 1960 and 1961, and how many holdings now remain unvested; (3) when the Land Commission expect to have completed the vesting of the holdings outstanding for vesting; and (4) whether any survey has been undertaken by the Land Commission in recent years to ascertain the number of acres of land available for redistribution and the relief of congestion, and, if so, the result thereof.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Reports of Land Commission.
37.
Following are replies to the various parts of the Question:—
(1) The Report for the year ended 31st March, 1960, has been pending for printing for some months past. Publication is expected at an early date. The Report for the year ended 31st March, 1961, is in course of preparation.
(2) Tenanted holdings vested in the years ended 31st March 1960 and 1961 totalled 1,533 and 1,583, respectively. At 31st March, 1961, the aggregate number of such holdings pending for vesting was approximately 10,500
(3) It is estimated that 6,500 of these holdings, apart from being undersized, are in rundale or intermixed plots. The solution of these difficult cases is inevitably a tedious process. They represent what might be termed "a recalcitrant residue," disposal of which is affected to a large extent by negotiations for migration and rearrangement and the acquisition or purchase of other lands. Even at the expanded rate of progress in recent years, the rearrangement of unvested fragmented holdings will probably take another nine years to complete. Much will necessarily depend upon the degree of co-operation among the occupiers themselves and the willingness of a sufficient number to migrate from rundale townlands to new holdings elsewhere.
(4) It is felt that a comprehensive survey on the lines suggested would be of little practical value. Owing to changes in ownership, user of land and family circumstances, etc., the survey would go quickly out of date. The Land Commission are continually investigating the possibility of acquiring particular lands for relief of congestion. During the past five years a total area of 340,000 acres, comprised in some 3,400 properties, was inspected with a view to possible acquisition.