asked the Minister for Lands if he will state up to what acreage small farmers qualify for allotments of land from the Land Commission.
12.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Allotment.
11.
asked the Minister for Lands if the substantial acreage of land in the possession of the Land Commission, some of it held for four to five years, will be allotted to small holders before this country accedes to the EEC on 1st January, 1973.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together.
Current land settlement policy is that holdings and enlargements are planned to provide family farms of 40 to 45 acres of good land or the equivalent in land of mixed quality. All applicants with holdings below that level, including any which may have previously been enlarged, are eligible for consideration for additional land.
As regards the allocation of lands on hands before our accession to EEC, I would refer the Deputy to my reply on 22nd February, 1972, to Question No. 39, Volume 260, columns 31 and 32.
Am I to take it the Minister considers 45 acres of arable land a viable holding?
This is a question of policy.
It is a separate question.
It is a question of fact and surely the Minister should be in a position to answer a question of fact.
It is not a question of fact. It is a question of policy and the availability of land. I should say that, arising out of our projected entry into the EEC, the Land Commission is reviewing policy in the light of the emerging agricultural reform programme of the EEC and our needs in that regard.
I take it the Minister can hold out a little hope for the future that the Land Commission will do a little up-to-date thinking with regard to the viability of farms.
Discussions with the EEC are going on at the moment on the agricultural reform programme generally. I would not like to go into policy questions but the Land Commission is in discussion with the EEC with regard to our needs.
Could the Minister tell me when these discussions will be concluded and when will he be able to indicate his plans?
No, I could not.
He should be able to.
It is a separate question.
13.
asked the Minister for Lands the amount of land held by the Land Commission on the 5th April, 1972, awaiting division.
Land Commission activities in the acquisition and division of land reach a peak around the end of March and there is a necessary time lag of a few weeks before a net balance as between total intake and total allocation can be struck and final figures for the year arrived at.
If the Deputy puts down a further question towards the end of this month, or communicates with me, I will be able to furnish the information then.