asked the Minister for Lands the names and addresses of estates in the hands of the Land Commission in each county; and the date on which the Land Commission took possession of them
42.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Commission Estates.
41.
asked the Minister for Lands the total amount of land in the hands of the Land Commission at the present time.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 42 together.
Apart from substantial areas of turbary and inferior quality land, the area of arable land on hands of the Land Commission at present is 52,000 acres approximately.
As regards the names, locations and dates of possession of the various properties involved, the Deputy will appreciate that the extraction of such detailed information for the country as a whole would entail a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour which I feel would not be warranted. In any event the position regarding lands in the possession of the Land Commission for distribution is subject to constant fluctuation—according as new properties are taken over and acquired estates allotted—and the extensive information sought, even if staff were to be diverted specially to extract it, would be out of date within a comparatively short time.
If the Deputy is concerned about any particular estate or group of estates and communicates with the Land Commission, the relevant details will be supplied to him.