asked the Minister for Lands and Fisheries if he will state (1) the area of untenanted land acquired under the Land Act, 1923, and subsequent Acts in each year between the 31st March, 1925, and 31st March, 1931; (2) the area of such land allotted in each of the said years; (3) the total indoor clerical staff of the Untenanted Land Division of the Land Commission and the grading of such staff for each of the said years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Allotment of Untenanted Lands.
The total areas of untenanted land acquired by the Land Commission under the Land Act, 1923, and subsequent Acts in each of the six financial years from 31st March, 1925, to 31st March, 1931, were respectively, as follows:—
In year 1925-6, 73,978 acres; in year 1926-7, 61,105 acres; in year 1927-8, 72,048 acres; in year 1928-9, 54,754 acres; in year 1929-30, 64,134 acres; in year 1930-31, 38,579 acres. The total areas of untenanted land allotted under the Land Act, 1923, in these years were approximately as follows: In year 1925-6, 42,366 acres; in year 1926-7, 33,538 acres; in year 1927-8, 70,153 acres; in year 1928-9, 54,976 acres; in year 1929-30, 44,520 acres; in year 1930-31, 48,376 acres. The totals of land allotted include the carry-over of lands acquired in previous years.
The Untenanted Land Division of the Land Commission—its approved title is the acquisition and resales division —came into existence as a separate division only last year. Prior to its segregation untenanted land work was part of the duty of the division of the Land Commission which also dealt with the tenanted land and it is not possible to assign separate numbers of headquarters' staff in respect of untenanted land. Details of the number and grading of the present staff of the acquisition and resales division of the Land Commission are set out in the Estimates for the Public Services for the current year.