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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 26 Mar 1936

Vol. 61 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Distribution.

asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the total number of new holdings created under the Land Acts, 1923-33, and the total amount of untenanted land so distributed in the year 1934; and the total amount of the charges paid or to be paid by the State in connection with the creation and assignment of these new holdings specifying the main headings under which such charges are incurred and the total amount of the charge under each such heading.

asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the total number of new holdings created under the Land Acts, 1923-33, and the total amount of untenanted land so distributed in each of the years 1933, 1934 and 1935; and if he will state the number of such holdings so created and the amount of such lands so distributed for each county and province in each of the years 1933, 1934 and 1935.

asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the total number of persons in the families placed on the 2,424 new holdings stated to have been created during the year 1935 under the Land Acts, 1923-33, indicating the number of (1) adults and (2) children.

I propose to take the Deputy's three questions together. The total number of new holdings (as distinct from the enlargement of existing uneconomic holdings) created on the division of untenanted land under the Land Acts, 1923-33, in each of the calendar years, 1933, 1934 and 1935, and the total area comprised therein, was approximately as follows:—Year 1933: 517 new holdings, comprising 15,055 acres; year 1934: 484 new holdings, comprising 12,326 acres; year 1935: 2,424 new holdings, comprising 55,260 acres. The corresponding figures appropriate to the respective 26 counties are set out in a tabular statement which will be circulated in the Official Report. It would be impracticable to supply the information asked for by the Deputy as to the charges in connection with the creation and assignment of these new holdings or the number of persons in the families of the allottees. No statistical returns of such matters are kept by the Land Commission, and in order to compile the information it would be necessary to collect and analyse all the resale schemes involved, which would be a very long and laborious task, necessitating the diversion of the Land Commission staff from the urgent work of land division.

LAND ACTS, 1923-33.

Statement showing by Counties and Provinces the number of persons provided by the Land Commission with NEW Holdings (as distinct from enlargements of existing uneconomic holdings), on the division of Untenanted Land in each of the Calendar years, 1933, 1934 and 1935, and the total area included in such new holdings.

COUNTY

In year 1933

In year 1934

In year 1935

No. of new Holdings

Area Acres

No. of New Holdings

Area Acres

No. of New Holdings

Area Acres

CAVAN

4

189

1

35

11

194

DONEGAL

8

144

1

58

60

1,739

MONAGHAN

1

24

6

122

17

334

Totals for Ulster

13

357

8

215

88

2,267

CARLOW

3

26

2

27

11

182

DUBLIN

1

37

19

469

40

667

KILDARE

27

654

22

688

280

8,102

KILKENNY

1

623

20

341

LEIX

7

104

30

522

84

2,485

LONGFORD

3

132

3

71

25

436

LOUTH

8

137

21

595

MEATH

72

2,445

48

1,357

384

7,791

OFFALY

38

1,507

22

718

151

2,193

WESTMEATH

3

73

3

103

72

1,532

WEXFORD

2

36

6

129

WICKLOW

4

44

Totals for Leinster

162

4,665

152

4,614

1,098

24,677

GALWAY

123

4,460

59

1,726

231

9,069

LEITRIM

1

16

5

34

16

258

MAYO

34

1,622

72

1,671

178

2,754

ROSCOMMON

35

800

46

996

219

4,351

SLIGO

11

90

16

312

69

2,732

Totals for Connacht

204

7,088

198

4,739

713

19,164

CLARE

28

336

43

195

108

1,639

CORK

3

15

24

600

KERRY

5

79

4

862

24

287

LIMERICK

3

14

5

53

86

1,757

TIPPERARY

98

2,523

66

1,599

279

4,646

WATERFORD

1

8

8

49

4

223

Totals for Munster

138

2,975

126

2,758

525

9,152

GENERAL TOTALS

517

15,085

484

12,326

2,424

55,260

Note.—The figures in the Statement are approximate, as the detailed records are not entirely complete.

Are we to understand from the Parliamentary Secretary that the Land Commission is unable to state the cost to the State of the division of land in 1933?

Are we to understand that the Land Commission is unable to state the cost of the division of land in 1934?

That is not what I said.

If the Parliamentary Secretary directs his attention to question 15 he will see that I ask him to state the total number of new holdings created, under the Land Acts, 1923-33, and the total amount of the charges paid, or to be paid, by the State in connection with the creation and assignment of these new holdings. He told us that it would be impracticable to supply the information as to the cost of the creation of the new holdings in 1934.

No; that it would be impracticable to give the cost for each individual case.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary read question 15, which asks him to state the total number of new holdings created under the Land Acts, 1923-33, the total amount of untenanted land distributed in 1934, and the total cost to be paid by the State? He is not asked to give information in respect of either a particular county or province, but for the State as a whole. If the Parliamentary Secretary can tell us that he has that information I will repeat the question so that he will have the opportunity of giving us the total cost of the creation of new holdings in 1934.

We could give that information by counties, if necessary, but not for individual cases.

I think that the Parliamentary Secretary ought to read question 15 again.

Arising out of the Parliamentary Secretary's reply, is it not a fact that State money is being used to build houses and make fences on those lands?

In view of that admission on the part of the Parliamentary Secretary, will he say how the figures can be built up for a county except from individual farms or estates?

That is quite true, but does not the Deputy realise the tremendous amount of work that would be involved if the Land Commission staff had to go over the 800 estates dealt with in 1935, and compile all the statistics necessary in respect of each allottee on each of these estates?

I realise all that because I did the work myself which the Parliamentary Secretary never did, and I can tell him that it is quite a simple matter.

It was a pity the Deputy did not remain there.

I was longer there than the Parliamentary Secretary will be.

Mr. Brodrick

Is it not a fact that when the land inspectors are allocating holdings of land they inquire from the allottees the number they have in family? Is it not also a fact that a grant for the building of a new house depends on the number in family that a particular allottee has? Could not the information asked for in these questions be complied from the statistics in the possession of the land inspectors?

If we were to direct that the Land Commission staff should devote themselves to that work it could be done, but we are not prepared to do that.

Mr. Brodrick

But the land inspectors have the information, and why not get them to convey it to the Department?

I have already stated that there were 800 estates dealt with in 1935. The compilation of the statistics required by Deputies would scarcely justify the amount of work involved. The staff of the Land Commission can, in my opinion, be much better employed than in doing such work.

Adding up 800 entries. That is the amount of work that would be involved.

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