I move:
That a sum not exceeding £2,041,100 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, 1966, for the salaries and expenses of the Officers of the Minister for Lands and of the Irish Land Commission.
In line with the agreed procedure adopted last year, I propose to take the Votes for Lands and Forestry together this year also. Accordingly, in my opening remarks I shall refer to Votes 35 and 36 and at the conclusion of the discussion the Motion in respect of Vote 35 will be put to the House. Vote 36 will then be formally moved.
The Lands Vote, No. 35, shows a net increase of £463,870 compared with last year. I shall commence by explaining the salient features of this Estimate, especially those items which reflect a significant change from last year's provision, and continue with a brief review of the principal activities of the Land Commission during the year ended 31st March last.
Provision for salaries, wages and allowances is made under subhead A The additional amount, £189,000, required this year is attributable mainly to the effects of the ninth round salary and wage increase—which was not included in last year's provision—and to some adjustments in Civil Service pay during the past year.
The first part of subhead B relates for the most part to travelling and subsistence expenses incurred in connection with the inspection, survey and allotment of lands under the Land Acts. Provision for incidental and miscellaneous expenses such as advertisements, etc., is also included. The additional amount, £13,900, this year is required for the most part to meet authorised increases in the travelling expenses of outdoor staff.
Part (2) of subhead B provides for payment direct to the Department of Posts and Telegraphs for all services rendered by that Department. This has now become standard procedure. The increase of £10,500, as compared with last year, is mainly due to increased postal charges.
The moneys required under subhead D are in the nature of statutory commitments. They represent the taxpayers' contribution in the current year towards the service of land purchase debt accumulated, since 1923, on both tenanted and untenanted land. The total contribution this year, £1,055,940, constitutes the highest individual item in the Vote and represents almost 31 per cent of the entire net Estimate. Of the total subhead provision, some £906,000 will be utilised to make good deficiencies in the Land Bond Fund arising from the statutory halving of annuities under the Land Act, 1933. Indeed, the overall increase of £65,990 in the subhead this year is attributable almost entirely to the halving of purchase instalments payable by new allottees as land settlement proceeds.
Section 24 of the Land Act, 1965, provides that whenever a purchase annuity lapses by reason of the operation of the Statute of Limitations, 1957, the resultant deficit shall not remain a charge on the ratepayers but shall, where necessary, be defrayed out of public funds. A number of annuities payable out of holdings situated mainly on remote islands are becoming affected by the Statute of Limitations, 1957. Subhead D includes a sum of £800 to meet resultant deficiencies in the current year.
The aggregate funds being provided this year under subhead G amount to £460,000—an increase of £125,000 on last year's corresponding provision which, in itself, constituted a record. As the subhead is in four separate parts, I think I can best deal with it by referring to each part individually.
Subhead G.1 involves two items, the purchase of land by the Land Commission for cash in the open market and the provision of life annuities under section 6 of the Land Act, 1965. Up to recently, cash purchases under section 27, Land Act, 1950 were restricted to lands required for migrants' holdings or for rearrangement of fragmented holdings. As Deputies are aware, however, these hampering restrictions have been set aside by the repeals section of the Land Act, 1965 and purchases for cash can henceforth be made for all the general purposes of the Land Acts. During the year ended 31st March last, a total of 26 properties, aggregating 2,532 acres, were purchased for cash under section 27 and it is hoped to increase the volume of these transactions in the current year.
Section 6 of the Land Act, 1965, provides that where elderly, incapacitated or blind persons voluntarily sell their interest in land to the Land Commission, the Land Commission may, at the option of the vendor, and in lieu of payment in cash in whole or in part of the purchase price, provide the vendor with a life annuity. As this section has been fully discussed—and, I might add, favourably received—by the House in recent times, it is scarcely necessary for me to elaborate on it again.
In anticipation of an expanded volume of purchases for cash and also to enable the scheme for payment of life annuities to be embarked upon, provision under part (1) of subhead G is being increased this year by £95,000 to £365,000.
The second part of subhead G stems from section 5 of the Land Act, 1965, which enables the Land Commission to make loans to progressive farmers in congested areas for the purchase of viable farms of their choice, subject to making their existing lands available to the Land Commission for land settlement purposes. I had hoped that it might have been possible to make a start on this scheme last year but, as the Land Bill did not become law until 9th March last, this did not prove feasible. A sum of £45,000 is proposed for the purpose in the current year.
Subhead G.3 provides £15,000—an increase of £5,000 on last year's provision—for payment in cash of compensation for tenancy interests resumed on the small outstanding residue of Congested Districts Board estates. The fourth and final part of the subhead relates to the payment by the Land Commission of auctioneers' commission on relevant purchases of land for cash and land bonds. The amount provided for this purpose last year was £25,000 and it is anticipated that £35,000 will be required this year. I should say that this provision has proved a decided asset in inspiring the voluntary sale of properties to the Commission and my own preference is for voluntary rather than compulsory transactions.
Subhead H provides the funds for payment of gratuities, pursuant to Section 29 of the Land Act, 1950, to persons displaced from employment on estates taken over by the Land Commission for distribution. Last year, gratuities totalling £11,145 were paid to 53 ex-employees—an average of £210 each. From the passing of the Land Act, 1950, to 31st March, 1965, a total of 377 displaced employees have received gratuities aggregating £57,823. Perhaps I should reiterate that displaced employees who are deemed competent to work on land are automatically considered for allotments— indeed, this is only right and proper— but, where they are not found to be suitable for allotments, they are considered by the Land Commission for a cash gratuity, depending on such factors as length of service, personal and family circumstances, availability of alternative employment and so on. It is difficult to make an accurate forecast of commitments under the subhead in any particular year because this depends on the level of acquisition activity and the extent to which estate workers become displaced from employment through these activities. With continuing impetus in the acquisition sector, it is anticipated that £13,500 will be required for the current year.
Subhead I, in the main, provides the funds required to meet the cost of the various estate improvement works which are such an important feature of land settlement. These works include the erection of dwellinghouses and out-offices; the provision of access roads; fencing and drainage; provision of water supply for domestic and stock requirements; turbary development; repair and maintenance of embankments. Subhead I is invariably a popular debating sector in the Lands Vote. Last year, the amount provided under subhead I was £850,000 and expenditure totalled approximately £821,000, including about £437,500 on building works. Some 700 men were employed on the various improvement works in the course of the year and their wage bill amounted to over £300,000.
As land acquisition increases, the volume of land settlement expands with it, giving rise to additional expenditure on estate improvement and development works. This year, the provision under subhead I is being increased by £50,000 to £900,000, or about 30 per cent of the entire Estimate. I feel, however, that Deputies, and particularly those who represent rural constituencies, will be fully alive to the importance of improvements works of this kind and will readily support the financial provision proposed for the current year.
While on the subject of estate improvements, I should say that work study techniques continue to be applied to Land Commission fencing, drainage and road-making operations. Since the introduction of the incentive bonus scheme five years ago, the productivity of Land Commission workers has increased by 55 per cent. During the past financial year alone, the scheme resulted in increased earnings, aggregating £36,500, for the workmen, while increased productivity resulted in savings worth £47,750 in the cost of the improvements works concerned.
Grants for the preservation and improvement of game resources are provided under subhead L to assist regional game councils, representative of all appropriate interests, in carrying out approved locally-organised schemes of direct improvement of game. In the main, these schemes include provision for the restocking of game, improvement of habitat and selective control of predators.
Last year, a sum of £30,000 was provided under subhead L. In the course of the year, grants totalling £25,472 were made to assist schemes involving an aggregate expenditure of about £48,000. In addition, sums amounting to about £4,500, applicable to some of the previous year's schemes, fell due for payment. By 31st March, 1965, the financial provision for the year was fully expended and outstanding approved grants will fall to be paid in the current year. To meet these commitments and in anticipation of a greater volume of game development schemes, provision under subhead L is being increased to £45,000 this year.
In view of the increased importance of game development at both local and national level, I have set up in my Department a special game section concerned exclusively with game preservation and development and with the management of the Department's sporting properties. It is intended to strengthen the section by the assignment of specially-trained advisory and scientific staff so that any guidance and advice which game councils may require will be readily available. It must, however, be clearly understood that efficient local organisation and initiative are essential if the objectives of game development are to be attained.
I am glad to say that, at the commencement of the fifth year of active State participation in game development, good progress continues to be made throughout the country. The operation of the quarantine-incubation station of the County Dublin game council will provide a much needed infusion of fresh blood, leading to an improvement in the numbers and quality of our game birds. The building-up of sound stocks to cater for the tourist and the native sportsman alike is an urgent need and I have advised game councils that the provision of shooting for visitors will be an important feature of this year's schemes. No doubt, difficulties will arise in complying with this requirement but I am convinced that, with goodwill and mutual understanding on the part of all concerned, these difficulties can be resolved.
I attach particular importance also to the setting up of sanctuaries or reserves for game birds, particularly wild fowl. Indeed, our geographical position on the European periphery gives this country a uniquely important role in international planning for the preservation of migratory wild fowl and my Department is giving serious attention to the problems involved in the conservation of these species and their habitats.
In previous years I appealed for an end to faction and mutual suspicion in the sphere of game development. Unhappily, this unsatisfactory situation still prevails but I am hopeful that moves towards the elimination of rivalries and misunderstandings will prove successful. Only in this way can game planning on a national basis be pushed forward.
I have dealt in some detail with the more important subheads of the Lands Vote. As the remaining items are either unchanged from last year or else are token provisions, they do not seem to call for specific comment, but if Deputies wish to obtain further information about them I shall, of course, gladly supply it.
During the marathon debates of the last Dáil on the Land Act, 1965, many of the activities of the Land Commission became the subject of considerable discussion. It is scarcely necessary, therefore, to occupy the time of the House now with a detailed statistical account of past activities and I shall confine myself to a summary of the main results for the year ended 31st March last. In some instances the statistics are still provisional but they are unlikely to vary to any significant extent from the final returns.
On the acquisition side, the aggregate area inspected during the year was 96,800 acres while the total intake of land amounted to about 45,000 acres— the highest intake figure for a single year in the post-war period. The results of the increased funds—both in cash and land bonds—provided by the Government for land acquisition are now becoming clearly evident. As the total area in the acquisition machine at 31st March, 1965. amounted to over 70,000 acres, acquisition prospects for the current year also are particularly good.
As regards land settlement, the total area allotted amongst some 1,800 allottees was in the region of 35,000 acres, which represents a year of very solid and sustained effort. The acreage distributed included the provision of 114 fully-equipped holdings for migrants and the rearrangement of 455 fragmented holdings. With the marked increase in land acquisition, a significant expansion on the allotment side can also be expected in the immediate future and, with this in view, the staffing position is at present being reexamined.
During the year ended 31st March last, a total of 155 new dwellinghouses and 261 out-offices were provided for tenants and allottees. In this connection, I should, perhaps, remind the House that, apart from normal housing activities arising from land settlement, the advances made by the Land Commission to supplement housing grants given by the Department of Local Government have been substantially increased in recent years. Loans up to £500 are now available from the Land Commission in such cases and may be obtained for new building projects or for reconstruction of existing dwellinghouses. During the past year, a total of 365 such advances to an aggregate amount of £138,000 were sanctioned by the Land Commission.
The vesting of holdings and allotments was continued during the year and, in all, approximately 3,450 properties were dealt with. Tenanted land —including residues of CDB estates— outstanding for vesting at 31st March, 1965, comprised approximately 6,800 holdings. These residual holdings, situated for the most part in western congested counties, now represent the remaining hard core of difficult tenanted land cases: they are being released for vesting according as the necessary rearrangement, enlargement or other improvement is carried out.
The position as regards collection of land annuities continues satisfactory. Out of a collectable total of £2,671,252 for the year, the amount actually collected by 31st March, 1965, was £2,542,786.
I do not wish to pass from the Lands Vote without commenting on the enactment of the Land Act, 1965, which was, perhaps, the most significant development of the past year in so far as the Land Commission is concerned. The Bill became law on 9th March last and work on framing the necessary rules and regulations is well under way. I can assure the House that there will be no avoidable delay in bringing the sections involving the implementation of a pension scheme for elderly landowners and the provision of self-migration loans into operation. In the Land Act, 1965, the Land Commission now have at their disposal a superior instrument to enable them to tackle with thrust and confidence the land structural reform problems which still confront the country.
Turning now to the Forestry Vote, Deputies will note that the Estimates provide for a net increase of £197,500. As the figure for 1964-65, as shown in the Book of Estimates, falls to be increased by the figure of £103,075 received from the Vote for Remuneration the actual increase is £94,425.
I should like to deal briefly with each of the individual subheads making up the Vote.
Subhead A, Salaries, Wages and Allowances, at £658,010 shows a decrease of £18,255 over the total provision for 1964-65 which comprised £573,190 as shown in the Book of Estimates for 1965-66 together with £103,075 provided from the Vote for Remuneration in respect of ninth round wage and salary increases.
Payments under this head during the year 1964-65 included arrears of salary adjustment from 1963-64, hence the lower requirement in 1965-66.
The provision of £145,200 for subhead B.1. Travelling and Incidental Expenses, shows an increase of £10,200 over the provision for 1964-65. The increase is attributable in the main to the strengthening of field staff and to a normal increase in travelling arising from the continuing expansion of activities.
The provision of £37,500 for subhead B.2, Post Office Services, shows an increase of £1,300. The provision includes a substantial element in respect of purchasing services apart from the cost of the normal postal services.
Subhead C.1, Acquisition of Land, at £135,000 shows an increase of £15,000 over the provision for 1964-65. The balance in the grant-in-aid fund on 31st March, 1965, was £185,700 so that a total of £320,700 will be available for land purchase within the year. This should be adequate to meet all normal commitments and to provide a reserve for contingencies.
The total area acquired for State forestry purposes in 1964-65 was 27,935 acres of which about 21,000 acres are plantable. The area was acquired in 528 transactions with an average of 40 productive acres per acquisition.
The effective plantable reserve at the end of 1964-65 was about 53,000 acres, as compared with some 55,000 acres at the end of 1963-64. In present circumstances, it is difficult to forecast what are the future prospects of improving the reserve position to facilitate better general forest management but we are, nonetheless, succeeding in maintaining a regular planting programme of 25,000 acres per annum despite the problems associated with a low plantable reserve.
A total of £3,123,000 is being provided for subhead C.2, Forest Development and Management. This represents an increase of £92,000 on the provision for 1964-65. The major part of the provision is attributable to labour costs for which a provision of £2,299,500 is made under the general operational heads of the subhead with a further £111,000, making £2,410,500 in all, for machine operators' wages under subhead C.2 (6). The total amount provided for labour shows an increase of £61,000 on the provision for 1964-65. The increase is due in part to an anticipated increase in the labour force and in part to the cost of operating a 45-hour week for forest workers over the entire year. In 1964-65 the 45-hour week operated only from the month of July.
The average weekly number of men in direct employment during 1964-65 was 4,812 against 4,773 in 1963-64. It is expected that employment in 1965-66 will rise to nearer 5,000.
The provision for State forest nurseries at £249,500 is higher by £5,000 than the provision for 1964-65. The increase is mainly attributable to labour costs.
The provision for the Establishment of Plantations at £728,000 shows an increase of £21,500 over the provision for 1964-65 attributable in the main to increased labour costs.
The planting programme for 1964-65 of slightly over 25,000 acres, including 1,000 acres on State forest lands from which marketable crops had been removed, has been completed. This brings to a figure of 430,000 acres the area of planted forest land held by my Department.
A further 25,000 acres is scheduled for planting in 1965-66. The programme will be as widely dispersed as land reserves allow. It is anticipated that some 40 per cent of the programme will be undertaken in the western counties where forestry development now gives employment to some 2,000 men and provides a wage bill of over £900,000.
The provision of £537,000 for New Roads and Buildings—Head 3—is up by £27,500. Provisional returns indicate a total of 160 miles of forest road completed in 1964-65 with a further 200 miles programmed for the present year.
The sum of £1,136,500 being provided for General Forest Management shows an increase of £37,500 on the provision for 1964-65.
This head bears the cost of maintenance and protection of State plantations including the cleaning of young plantations, repair of fences, drains and forest roads, pruning, fireline construction and such services. With the annual expansion of 25,000 acres in the area of State forest each year the tendency is for expenditure on this head to increase.
The provision of £136,000 for timber conversion represents a marginal increase of £2,500. The bulk of forest produce is sold standing and direct employment by the Forestry Division represents only a fraction of the total employment provided in felling and extraction.
Head 6—Mechanical Equipment for Forest Development and Management —at £336,000 shows little change from last year's figure. An increase in anticipated labour costs has been more than offset by expected savings on maintenance charges.
The provision of £17,500 for subhead D, Grants for Afforestation Purposes, shows an increase of £2,500 on the revised figure for 1964-65. In fact, the outturn for 1964-65 will exceed £18,000. During the year first instalments of grants were sanctioned in respect of newly established plantations totalling 1,035 acres.
In pursuance of the policy of promoting private planting, lectures were given at 14 centres during the year and the planting grant scheme was extensively advertised. I also agreed to continue for a further year to subsidise demonstration plantings in selected areas sponsored by "Trees for Ireland". Arrangements have also been made to subsidise a booklet dealing with trees and planting as prepared by "Trees for Ireland" for publication by Macra na Tuaithe. The forestry mobile exhibit participated in 15 agricultural shows during 1964 and is scheduled to attend a further 15 shows in the coming season. The mobile exhibit has attracted widespread interest wherever it has been on show.
The provision for Forestry Education, subhead E, at £31,940, shows an increase of £3,200 on the provision for 1964-65. The increase is attributable in part to increased allowances to forestry trainees and in part to increases in the general expenses of management.
The provision for Agency, Advisory and Special Services, subhead F, at £20,000 shows an increase of £5,980 on the provision for 1964-65. The main charge under this head is a contribution to the expanding programme for testing Irish grown trees being conducted by the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards at my behest. Provision has also been inserted for some expenditure on the employment of industrial consultants during the year.
The provision for the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial Park at Slieve Coillte, County Wexford, at £25,000 is intended to cover the costs likely to arise during the year in the course of the development of the Park including the provision of roads and the preparation for planting of the Park area. While it will be some time before the results of the planning and preparation become visible, my Department are pressing ahead with the development of the Park with all possible speed.
I should not like to let this opportunity pass without reference to the great generosity of the Irish American organisations, who have already contributed 100,000 dollars towards the cost of the project.
The total provision for receipts under subhead H, Appropriations-in-Aid, at £612,000 is £7,000 less than the amended provision for 1964-65. The main source of revenue is the sale of timber of sawlog size and at this stage of the forest development programme we are subject to variations in the volume of this type of material available from year to year. The sawlog market is buoyant and could readily absorb more timber, had we greater supplies available. Pulpwood timber supply tends to rise gradually and the increase in supply is being fully absorbed by the timber processing industries and other miscellaneous users. In the past year the expansion in demand by the timber processing industries has, in fact, created a situation in which they have had some difficulty in attracting sufficient additional material from other markets.
I should like to close with a renewed appeal for co-operation by all concerned in protecting our forests from fire danger. As Deputies are aware we have just passed through a very hazardous period when in a matter of days 20 fires destroyed 360 acres of State forest. Indeed, but for the co-operation of the Gardaí, the local fire services, the Army and the public at large, the damage might have been even greater, despite the herculean efforts of the local forest staffs. During the period of peak danger no fewer than 154 other fires were brought under control before any damage was done to forest property.
I sincerely appreciated this valuable assistance and the many offers of help and advice received in my Department. The loss, though severe, will have served a useful purpose if it has made our people more conscious of their growing investment in afforestation, as I believe it has. While every effort is made to protect the forests from fire, complete protection would be so costly as to be uneconomic. We must, therefore, continue to depend largely on the consciousness and conscientiousness of the general public on this very important matter and I seek also the goodwill of Deputies to stimulate and promote a better sense of care for the forest areas in their constituencies.