asked the Minister for Lands if in view of the statement made by him that he desires vendors to offer their lands first to the Land Commission he will take steps, including if necessary the introduction of legislation, to provide that the Land Commission will not take steps for compulsory acquisition in any case where the land first comes under the notice of the Land Commission by being voluntarily offered to it.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Voluntary Offers of Land.
24.
Decisions by the Land Commission affecting the acquisition of land must necessarily be governed by the particular circumstances of individual cases. It could be quite unwise to move on the lines suggested by the Deputy. To illustrate—if it were arranged that a voluntary offer of land to the Land Commission would give the owner immunity from compulsory acquisition, a situation would be created in which an inefficient farmer who had reason to fear the Land Commission could defeat them by the simple device of offering his lands on a voluntary basis and then refusing their price.
The Deputy will know that the Land Commission are paying market value for land and that the Land Acts, as well as conferring powers on the Land Commission, contain protection for owners.
The Minister's speech meant nothing, in other words?
It certainly did.
You will not get your land on that basis.
This is a complete "out" for inefficient farmers.