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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 5 Dec 1972

Vol. 264 No. 5

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Division Delays.

23.

asked the Minister for Lands if he will arrange that the Land Commission avoid undue delay in dividing land which it has acquired in view of local discontent arising from continuous letting and that the land be divided not later than one year after final acquisition.

24.

asked the Minister for Lands if he will arrange that the Land Commission take steps to divide holdings in their possession which have been let for a number of years.

I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 23 and 24 together.

Every effort is made to dispose of lands on hands of the Land Commission as rapidly as possible and there are standing instructions to the effect that acquired lands should not normally be retained on hands longer than two years.

Exceptions have to be made, however, where buildings have to be erected and other improvements carried out or where, in occasional cases, the preparation of resale proposals has to be deferred in the interest of ensuring that the scheme of division ultimately settled will be the best possible.

It can be taken that the speedy allocation of lands on hands is high on the Land Commission's list of priorities but the Deputy will appreciate that circumstances do not always permit of disposal of the lands as quickly as would be wished.

Would the Minister agree that in many cases the delay is due to the fact that there are too few Land Commission staff? There are too few Land Commission inspectors to deal with the problems they have to solve.

Perhaps the Deputy might express a view on that later today.

In France the equivalent of our Land Commission are required to hand back any land kept in their possession for more than five years. They are required by law to hand back the land to the original owner?

It sounds like a good idea to me.

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