asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that there are eight million acres of land to be reclaimed in this country; the action, if any he proposes to take in the matter; and if details of this land have been supplied to the EEC by his Department for urgent financial assistance.
Written Answers . - Land Reclamation .
156.
: It will be appreciated that, having regard to changing conditions, it would be difficult to estimate the acreage of land in the country that needs improvement, but I am satisfied that the figure quoted is grossly overstated. Clearly such an estimate would depend on whether the land in question required drainage or other forms of reclamation—for example scrub or rock removal and so forth.
However it has been calculated that in the west there are at least one million acres which could be improved through drainage. In view of the extent of the problem in the west the EEC, as part of their policy to help the more handicapped areas of the Community, have recently approved a measure providing £21 million Community aid to accelerate drainage in this region. The programme will cover arterial and field drainage and the provision of grants to agricultural co-operatives for the purchase of drainage equipment.
It is hoped to put the programme into operation as soon as certain procedural formalities are completed. I am confident that this new programme will greatly accelerate land improvement operations in the west.
In regard to the rest of the country the generous grants available for land improvement under the farm modernisation scheme coupled with the attractive prices now available for most agricultural commodities should provide a compelling incentive for farmers to improve marginal land.