asked the Minister for Lands what steps the Government are taking to ensure that under EEC conditions land offered for sale will not pass into the hands of non-nationals.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Membership of EEC.
26.
Full right of establishment in agricultural land does not operate in the EEC. So far the Community have adopted measures of only limited scope, the effect of which is that:—
(1) Nationals of one member state now have the right to acquire farms in other member countries which have been left abandoned or left uncultivated for more than two years; and
(2) Nationals of one member country who have worked as paid agricultural workers in another member country for an unbroken period of at least two years have the right to acquire a farm or farms in that country.
(3) Nationals of a member country established in another member country for more than two years have the right to change farms.
(4) Nationals of one member state who are established or who are establishing themselves in farming in another member state have the right of accession to the rural lease system in that state.
Compliance with these limited measures does not create any significant problem for us.
The Council has had before it since January, 1969, a draft directive which, if adopted, would grant, in effect, full rights to nationals of one country to purchase farms in other member countries. This draft is unlikely to be adopted before our accession. I dealt with this matter yesterday and this morning and would refer Deputies to what I said.
27.
asked the Minister for Lands whether payment for land acquired by the State will continue to be made by land bonds under EEC conditions.
28.
asked the Minister for Lands whether section 6 of the Land Act, 1965 can be applied under EEC conditions, in whole or in part, to supplement the proposals of a similar nature under the Mansholt plan.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 28 together.
As Deputies are aware the EEC Council of Ministers in March last adopted in principle a series of resolutions on land structural reform in the Community including a pension scheme for farmers who retire from farming and who surrender their lands. These broad proposals have yet to be converted into specific programmes by the adoption of directives. Until these directives are adopted it is not possible to say how the life annuity scheme authorised by section 6 Land Act, 1965 will be affected. Should these directives not be adopted until after Ireland's entry negotiations are completed this country under the settled consultation procedure will be consulted before the draft directives are finalised.
As regards payment in land bonds this is a matter which will, too, have to be discussed with the EEC in the general context of their land structural reform proposals.