asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the number or approximate number of holdings in each county still requiring enlargement or improvement, and the number of unsold estates or remnants of such in each county.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Enlargement and Improvement of Holdings: Unsold Estates.
34.
As regards the first part of the Question, reliable statistics on a county basis are not readily available. According to the latest figures to hand, however, there are in the country as a whole some 168,000 holdings above 1 acre but not exceeding 30 acres in extent. Of these, it must be safe to say that from 60,000 to 80,000 holdings are in the occupation of persons whose principal means of livelihood is farming and would, therefore, have a strong claim to enlargement.
The reply to the second part of the Question takes the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, will be circulated with the Official Report. In sum, the statement shows that the number of holdings outstanding for vesting—on Estates of the former Congested Districts Board and on Tenanted Land Commission Estates under the Land Act, 1923—has been reduced to 12,183. Of these holdings, 11,656 i.e. over 95%, are situate in the nine congested counties and nearly all of them require not only enlargement but re-arrangement as well. In addition, it is true that some holdings vested under the earlier Land Acts (1903-09) were left in an imperfect state and, though just now I have no definite information as to the number involved, the Deputy knows, as I certainly do, that measures to improve them must be undertaken.
STATEMENT.
|
County |
Unsold estates or Remnants thereof* |
Unvested holdings |
|
Number |
Number |
|
|
Cavan |
3 |
4 |
|
Donegal |
62 |
2,868 |
|
Monaghan |
— |
— |
|
Carlow |
— |
— |
|
Dublin |
2 |
96 |
|
Kildare |
2 |
4 |
|
Kilkenny |
— |
— |
|
Laois |
2 |
2 |
|
Longford |
— |
— |
|
Louth |
— |
— |
|
Meath |
3 |
3 |
|
Offaly |
7 |
147 |
|
Westmeath |
— |
— |
|
Wexford |
2 |
8 |
|
Wicklow |
3 |
3 |
|
Galway |
109 |
3,055 |
|
Leitrim |
4 |
55 |
|
Mayo |
115 |
2,315 |
|
Roscommon |
32 |
915 |
|
Sligo |
8 |
216 |
|
Clare |
55 |
778 |
|
Cork |
48 |
676 |
|
Kerry |
33 |
778 |
|
Limerick |
3 |
16 |
|
Tipperary |
12 |
88 |
|
Waterford |
5 |
156 |
|
TOTALS |
510 |
12,183 |
*Including C.D.B. and 1923 Act Estates.
With regard to the figures he has given in reply to the first part of the question would the Minister say where that information comes from? Does it come from the Land Commission or from the Central Statistics Office?
The figure of 168,000 holdings from one acre to 30 acres comes from the Central Statistics Office.
Since the question was tabled, did the Minister ask the Land Commission for their opinion on the figure given by the Central Statistics Office, and if one or more of these holdings is held by one person?
I take it that the figure of 168,000 holdings between one and 30 acres is fairly accurate. The question of the number of holdings in the possession of people whose livelihood is solely or mainly derived from the land must necessarily be speculative, and as near as we can judge, we think it would probably be in the region of the figures I have given—60,000 to 80,000.