asked the Minister for Agriculture the date on which the proposed Land Bill will be introduced.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Bill.
1.
Proposals for a new land policy are at present before the Government and an announcement in the matter will be made as soon as a decision has been reached.
The drafting of the complex legislation that will be involved will necessarily take some time and, at this stage, it would be premature to speculate as to when the measure can be introduced.
Can the Minister give us an indication of whether this Bill, promised during the past two years, will be introduced before the summer recess?
I cannot speculate about when the legislation will be ready.
That is not the question. This is most unsatisfactory.
Is the Minister aware that his predecessor stated in June 1978 that he intended to have these proposals put before the Government before the end of that year? Is the Minister now telling us that he intends to put the proposals before the Government in 1980?
As the Deputy knows, these are complex matters and it will take some time to ensure that everything is in order.
Is the Minister aware of the urgent necessity for this Bill in view of the amount of land that has been changing hands since this new legislation was first talked about? Is he not aware that acquisition by the Land Commission seems to have slowed down to nothing?
I am aware of the urgency, but we are making £25 million available to the Land Commission this year.
(Cavan-Monaghan): In view of what seems to be an indefinite delay about this legislation would the Minister consider continuing to operate the machinery available to him in the Land Commission to protect small farmers from the cheque book land speculators?
We are continuing to operate it.
The Minister is misleading the House. Is he not aware that the policy is not being continued?
The Deputy got a letter to say that the priority of the Land Commission is to allocate the land already in their hands.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Does the Minister agree that the number of section 40 notices has been dropped from 118——
The Deputy is anticipating. That is not the question on the Order Paper.
Is one to understand that no work whatever has been done on the actual drafting of the Bill, that what the Government have before them are mere proposals on policy?
The Government have the matter before them.
Not a single line of the Bill has been drafted. We know exactly where we stand.
What did the Deputy do during his time?
My time will be coming very soon.
The Minister has not even succeeded in dividing the land that we purchased.
The Deputy's time came and went.