asked the Minister for Agriculture if the Land Commission land acquisition activity is diminishing; and, if so, why.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Acquisition.
9.
In the period 1970/1976 the average yearly intake of land by the Land Commission was about 24,800 acres. Last year 29,800 acres were acquired and it is estimated that in or about the same acreage will be taken up this year. It will be seen, therefore, that current land intake is well up to the level of recent years.
As I have already announced the whole position in regard to land policy is being examined by my Department and I hope to bring proposals to the Government before the end of the year. Pending the enactment of new legislation the existing land policy of the Land Commission continues to operate, but from now on there must be increasing emphasis on distributing the 70,000 acres of lettable land already in the possession of the Land Commission and on finalising the acquisition proceedings which are at present in progress for a further 54,000 acres.
Officers of the Land Commission seem to have indicated that they have been finding difficulty in placing land to suitable allottees in recent years. If so, does the Minister agree that this difficulty may have arisen because the price is one of the difficulties from the point of view of the smaller deserving farmers? Will he agree that a second difficulty is that small farmers who would be entitled to and would be deserving of additional allotments by virtue of acquiring new land from the Land Commission would be increasing their poor law valuations and that they would cease to benefit under the Social Welfare Acts?
There is no doubt that market prices of land have gone extremely high in recent years and that the rentals charged to allottees of Land Commission land consequently must be proportionately high, even in western areas where the annuity is halved. On the question of smallholders acquiring new land and at the same time expecting to retain social welfare benefits to which they were formerly entitled, it is a bit illogical in my opinion to raise a man's acreage considerably and at the same time to say that he is in the same condition of inability to earn his living as he ever was and that his dependance on social welfare benefits is the same. This cannot be so.
Even if in the western areas such farmers have to pay only half the annuities, is the Minister aware that during the currency of these high cost repayments allottees are unlikely to be any better off for a considerable time despite their increased PLV? In addition to spending money on getting employment in other ways, has serious consideration been given further to subsidise the acquisition of land for distribution among congests so that we will retain them in the jobs they know best rather than put them on the labour market and seek to find alternative industrial employment for them?
If the Deputy at the same time is seeking further subsidisation for a particular class of allottee it must necessarily mean that no matter how big the overall Vote for the Land Commission or the Department of Agriculture is, fewer people will be catered for than would otherwise be the case.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Could the Minister give the amount of land acquired each year between 1970 and 1976? He has given the average for that period but if he takes it year by year I think he will find that the intake rose dramatically from 1970 to 1976.
That is a separate question.
If the Deputy wishes to put down a question I can give him a tabular statement.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Will the Minister agree that in respect of the 29,800 acres taken in in 1977 the proceedings for the acquisition of that land were initiated two or three years ago, not during his term of office? Could the Minister say—this would be very material—how many section 40 notices were served this year, last year and the year before which would initiate the acquisition of land?
That is a separate question, Deputy.
(Cavan-Monaghan): It is not, and the Minister knows that.
It is a question requiring information——
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Minister answered the question very cleverly but it is about the acquisition of land. I want to suggest to the Minister by way of question that the issue of section 40 notices has practically ceased and that is the only protection that the small farmer has.
I invite the Deputy to put down a parliamentary question and I shall tell him the precise number.
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Minister has the information but he will not give it.
Question No. 10.
(Cavan-Monaghan): The answer was very clever but quite misleading.
It was quite straightforward.
Order.