asked the Minister for Lands when he intends to speed up the general allocation of land, which has been in the hands of the Land Commission for some years, to small tenant farmers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Allocation of Land.
The Land Commission are doing their best to divide as much as possible of the lands in their possession, but in view of the great reduction in the number of their staff, due to the emergency, there is no possibility at present of speeding up division.
Am I to understand that the reason for the delay is a shortage of officials? If so, have we not sufficient people with ability if the Minister would only employ them?
In view of the necessity for food production is not the division of land of such importance that immediate steps should be taken to have the land divided and given to people who are prepared to work it and who are able to work it, namely, the sons of farmers and uneconomic holders?
I assume that the justification for land division is increased production. Unfortunately, during the present emergency, owing to the number of the Land Commission staff who are not now available to us and who are with other Departments, and because of the difficulties of transport, etc., the Land Commission is unable to speed up the acquisition and division of land as it might in ordinary circumstances.
The Minister is aware that land division is of great importance and yet he answers me by telling me that the whole of the delay is due to the fact that they have taken a certain number of the staff of that Department and shoved them into other Departments. The Minister fully realises that the division of land is of great importance to the production of food. Yet these officials are taken from the Land Commission and shoved into the Department of Defence or the Department of Supplies or some other Department. Why not leave them in the Land Commission and get other officials to fill the vacancies in these other Departments? Why take officials from the Land Commission? Why not leave them there until their job is done or is land division to continue for another 50 years?
Will the Minister consider getting the Land Commission to prepare quarterly returns of the land taken over by the Land Commission in each county and the amount of land divided? There is a feeling that the Land Commission are not doing this special work in connection with land acquisition and division.