asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of non-nationals who have acquired Irish farmland since his order in May 1983 adding citizens of other EC countries as qualified persons under the 1965 Land Act; and the total acreage involved.
4.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Acquisition of Land by Non-Nationals.
3.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of non-nationals who have acquired land in this country since May, 1983; and the amount of land involved.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together. In the period since May 1983 Land Commission consent was granted to 150 non-qualified persons, including citizens of EC countries and other non-nationals, to purchase an aggregate of 3,588 hectares. The figures do not include non-nationals from EC countries who are qualified persons and did not seek consent.
Would the Minister not agree that that is a fair amount of land? We accept that there was no choice but to make that order; but with the fragmentation of farmlands and the small size of holdings, a special case should have been made to limit the sale of Irish farmland to non-nationals.
I am sure the Deputy will agree that it is a very small amount. All the Deputy is speaking about is an average of 24 hectares. Many people thought it was much larger than that.
The Minister comes from a small farming area. Would he not agree that some of the journals writing about this matter spoke about this land war threat by non-nationals, which will be serious. While the Minister might write off 3,588 hectares, if that was added to land in the west or in the Cavan-Monaghan area to increase holdings it could mean 100 extra people being maintained on the land.
There are many answers involved in that question. For obvious reasons the Land Commission would not give consent if there were small local farmers in a position to purchase that land. There are obviously many areas throughout the country, as the Deputy is aware, where the demand for land might not be as great as in some of the small farming areas.
(Limerick West): Would the Minister agree that because of the absence of activity in the Land Commission this situation has occurred?
I have to reject that entirely. This has been a facility which has been here for years. Going back ten, 12 and even 20 years ago, we had this pattern of land purchase. Most people will accept that the figures I have quoted are quite small.
(Limerick West): That is utter rubbish and the Minister knows it.