asked the Minister for Lands the acreage of land in the hands of the Land Commission in west Galway for sub-division amongst local congests; the townlands concerned; when he expects that rearrangement will take place in these townlands; and the length of time the lands have been in the hands of the Land Commission.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Galway Lands.
30.
(Cavan) : Land Commission records are not complied by reference to specific districts such as that mentioned in the question. For County Galway as a whole, however, the area of lands on the hands of the Land Commission at 31st March, 1974, was 17,000 acres approximately, of which about 12,000 acres would be classed as lettable.
As I explained to the Deputy in reply to a somewhat similar question on 11th July, 1973, the operations of the Land Commission in County Galway are heavily concentrated and the lands on hands include numerous small holdings and remnants of larger estates. He will appreciate that in the circumstances the extraction of the detailed information now requested would call for a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour which would not be warranted.
If the Deputy is interested in any particular townlands, however, I will have the required information relating there to sent to him.
Could the Minister at this stage say whether the people in whom Deputy Geoghegan appears to be interested—the small congests—would now take only second place, with preference being given to developing farmers not being and perhaps never likely to be development farmers?
This question refers to West Galway. The subject matter is now being broadened on a national basis.
(Cavan): There is confusion between the allocation of lands by the Land Commission under its ordinary traditional operations and the allocation of lands surrendered under the retirement scheme. It is true that, if we avail of the EEC subvention in regard to lands surrendered under the retirement scheme, development farmers have got first priority, but the position remains as it always was in regard to the allocation of lands acquired by the Land Commission in the ordinary way.
Is the Minister stating, therefore, that development farmers, in so far as lands acquired in the ordinary way are concerned will have no preference whatsoever over ordinary congests or local small-holders?
(Cavan): The policy of the Land Commission in regard to what I call its traditional operations has not been changed.
This is a question about which a great many people are concerned and I would like the Minister to further elucidate it in regard to the enlargement of farms under the traditional Irish Land Commission scheme and under the new farm development scheme. Would the Minister state clearly if those who are entitled to preference under the new development scheme of the EEC would only have preference in respect of land which people have surrendered to opt for the pension scheme, or what land do they get preference to according to the booklet setting out the details of the new modernisation scheme?
We are going very wide of the subject matter of Question No. 30.
(Cavan): Deputy Geoghegan's question is a factual one dealing with the position of land in County Galway——
And local congests.
(Cavan):—but arising out of the question put to me by Deputy Brennan, the booklet which he received deals exclusively with the retirement scheme, and the preference given to development farmers is confined to lands which come into the hands of the Land Commission under the retirement scheme.