asked the Minister for Lands the total acreage of commonage which has been divided since 1st January 1973.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Commonage Land.
12.
(Cavan): The total area of commonage divided by the Land Commission since 1st January, 1973, is 15,290 acres.
13.
asked the Minister for Lands if his Department has any applications in respect of division from shareholders in commonages; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
(Cavan): The statutory provisions for the division of commonages are contained in section 24, Land Act, 1939; section 25, Land Act, 1950; section 23, Land Act, 1953; section 41, Land Act, 1965.
Under these provisions it is open to the shareholders in commonages to submit partition schemes to the Land Commission for approval and applications of this nature are received from time to time.
In the case of potentially productive commonages associated with nonviable holdings the Land Commission will consider dealing with them under their rearrangement procedure and, if necessary, carry out fencing and improvement works. Applications in this context are dealt with as quickly as possible having regard to the many demands of the land settlement programme.
The applications are not recorded centrally and to ascertain the number at present outstanding it would be necessary to make inquiries from the local Land Commission offices. This would take some time but if the Deputy requires the information or is interested in any particular case, I shall arrange to have the information supplied to him.
Can the Minister say whether any of these applications are being processed?
(Cavan): I know there are cases being processed in the west of Ireland, particularly in Mayo and Galway. Indeed, very considerable progress has been made in the division of commonages in Mayo during the past couple of years. By agreement with the commoners in the Belmullet and Achill areas, thousands of acres have been divided.
I am aware that up to 1972 there was division of commonages in Belmullet and in the Annascaul area of Kerry as well as in Claregalway totalling about 1,000 acres. I am wondering whether that exercise is continuing?
(Cavan): The contrary to what the Deputy says is the case. Up to the time I became Minister, strange as it may appear, there was very little division of commonage in Mayo. Practically none had been divided for a long number of years but at the request of Deputies from the area I went to Belmullet and walked the commonages there. In late 1973-74 and up to date, about 3,000 acres of commonage have been divided in the Belmullet, Achill and Louisburg areas.
Is it not the position that there must be agreement on the part of the commoners before the Land Commission can decide to divide?
(Cavan): Such agreement is not necessary legally. The Land Commission have compulsory powers to divide commonages but in practical terms it is not feasible to use these powers. The Deputy will agree that in the event of a few people objecting, it could be very difficult for the Land Commission to do a good job.
I agree that the task could be difficult in the event of a number of people objecting but I am concerned that one contrary person could hold up division.
We are having a statement now.
(Cavan): I agree with the Deputy. I do not believe that, say, three or four out of 30 people should hold up divisions and I shall encourage the Land Commission to use their compulsory powers in cases where the majority agree on division.
14.
asked the Minister for Lands the total acreage of commonage land in the country; and the total number of shareholders.
(Cavan): The information requested is not available in my Department.
Having regard to the extent of commonage in Ireland and to the potential this offers, would it not be a worthwhile exercise to ascertain what is the approximate acreage?
(Cavan): As I have told the Deputy, the information is not available in the Department nor have the Central Statistics Office been able to enlighten us in this regard. In order to ascertain the information with any degree of accuracy, it would be necessary to have carried out a survey of all the mountains and bogland and that would be a tremendous job.
Would the Minister not agree that there is an appreciable amount of commonage?
(Cavan): I accept that.
In these days when we talk of marginal type land and its potential, should we not be ascertaining the degree of the problem in relation to commonage?
(Cavan): The division of commonage results invariably from a request by all or some of the commoners concerned. In this way we will have our attention drawn to any commonage in which people are interested.
Would the Minister take steps to dispel the notion that if even one shareholder objects, the commonage may not be divided? This is a notion that I have detected in Mayo, Galway and Donegal.
This matter has been adverted to already.
(Cavan): The inspectors of the Land Commission throughout the country are aware of this and I shall encourage them to let the real position be known.