asked the Minister for Agriculture the names and addresses of all non-nationals to whom permission was given to purchase land in the past year to the latest available date, as well as the acreage and price involved in each case.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Land Purchases by Non-Nationals .
26.
: The information requested is confidential and consequently I am unable to give the particulars asked for. I can, however, tell the Deputy that, excluding transactions involving five acres or less and transfers from one non-citizen to another, the Land Commission consented in the year 1977 to the vesting of lands in non-citizens in 110 cases involving 7,986 acres, including an area of about 4,000 acres of mountain purchased jointly by a non-citizen and his Irish wife. The corresponding figures for 1978 to date are 51 cases involving 1,179 acres.
: Does that figure include the sales to nationals of other EEC countries?
: They are merely described as non-citizens and I do not know from what countries they come. I regret to say that I do not have that information.
: In view of the terms of the Treaty of Accession and the difficulties in enforcing section 25 of the Land Act against nationals of EEC countries, would the Minister accept that it will be necessary to have separate statistics and to treat separately transactions with EEC nationals as opposed to nationals of non-member states?
: I am not sure that that view has any real relevance. What is important is the acquisition of land which effectively prevents other people from expanding their holdings and condemns them to a slow extinction. It does not matter whether they are Irish nationals or not. What we must really do is get a discipline in the matter of the movement, sale and acquisition of land that will apply not only to non-nationals but to Irish people also. Within Community law we are required to apply the same discipline to all member countries of the Community. I wish to point out that people of a predatory kind who gobble up large areas of land are not any better because they are Irish citizens; they are still adversely affecting the lives of other Irish people, and they should be prevented from doing it.