asked the Minister for Lands whether, in relation to a speech which he delivered at Belturbet, County Cavan, on the 2nd December, 1962, the term "absentee landowner" includes (a) landowners of farms of any size which are worked in accordance with proper husbandry, upon which substantial employment is given, and where there is not any congestion, (b) landowners, absent through illness, the income from whose holdings is their only support, (c) landowners who were compelled to emigrate in order to clear debts created through no fault of the surviving absent owner, (d) land-owners whose absence is purely temporary for a valid reason, and (e) land-owners who let lands, for reasons of temporary convenience, which are being properly worked; and if he will state generally whether it is intended to provide a court or courts wherein the absentee may be enabled to make his case.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Absentee Landowners.
In my speech on 2nd December, I dealt with general conditions. Following is the relevant quotation:—
"It is necessary for us to take cognisance of derelict and unworked land everywhere throughout the country. Irrespective of the amount of land that may become available to the Land Commission in the Midland counties for migrants, I am satisfied that there is a vast amount of land throughout the country that has been let for long periods by the owners which should be acquired by the Land Commission for the common good.
"I have, therefore, directed the Land Commission to compile a Register of vacant and derelict holdings, and lands that have been let for a period of 5 years or over. This job is now being done, and on its completion, county by county, it is proposed to take certain action in respect of these lands. The owners will firstly be invited to sell these lands to the Land Commission and an offer will be made to them. In this connection let me say that under the law as it stands a landowner is entitled to the full market value of his land from the Land Commission. In the cases to which I refer, it is the intention to pay the market value of the lands to those concerned and, if possible, to acquire them by agreement. If, however, we cannot get agreement with these absentee land-owners, then the Land Commission will proceed with their full compulsory powers for the acquisition of these lands.
"Again, under this procedure, if the owner is not satisfied with the offer of the Land Commission, he has a right to appeal to the Appeal Tribunal on the question of value, and a Judge of the High Court will there assess the market value of the lands having listened to the evidence produced by the owner. This, I think, is as fair a system as can be devised and no reasonable man can quarrel with it. The people to whom I refer can either sell to the Land Commission or, alternatively, live on and effectively work their holdings.
"This country can no longer afford absentee land-owners; they are, in my view, just as detrimental to the common good as were the absentee landlords of former times. While our people are free to go where they wish and live where they wish, the question of the utilisation of their land is a different matter as it is fundamental to the common good of the whole nation. There is not a country in the whole of Western Europe that does not have special laws dealing with land utilisation. Indeed, in many countries they have special laws regulating the sale and inheritance of land as well. I am convinced that we have come to the stage here where the whole position must be re-assessed and a new Land Bill is being prepared to implement this re-assessment.
"Special provisions are being made to deal with cases of elderly or incapacitated farmers who are obviously unable to work their lands. We propose to provide a pension scheme for this class as an inducement to them to surrender their lands to the Land Commission forthwith, while leaving them in possession of their homes during their lives. I also hope to introduce a scheme under the new land law whereby in any particular pocket of congestion the Land Commission may assist some of those concerned to solve their own problem by they themselves purchasing a farm in another district and leaving their own lands for the relief of their neighbours."
I have never denied that there may occasionally occur short-term lettings for clearly genuine reasons: speaking to the Agricultural Science Association in September last I said "whilst undoubtedly there may sometimes be justifiable and compelling reasons for temporarily letting lands, there can be no justification for allowing land to be vacated indefinitely". This view was repeated by me at column 345 of Dáil Report for 31st October last.
Parts (a) to (e) of the Question relate to hypothetical cases which cannot be answered categorically at this stage as they will be a matter for discussion when the Land Bill is being enacted.
In view of the fact that the Minister referred specifically to the landlords——
I referred specifically to absentee landowners.
Very well, landowners—and did so in the sense that he would remind the House of the position in the past in regard to absentee landlords, would he tell the House what the position will be in connection with the large number of foreigners who have decided to live here for a month or six weeks of the year and spend the rest of the time outside the State? Will they be allowed to buy and to hold all the land they like while the Irishman who had to emigrate to England or elsewhere to earn a living is to have the land taken from him?
That appears to be a separate question.
It arises out of the Minister's statement on absentee owners. Does he describe or define foreigners, who buy land here and live on it for a month in the year as absentee-owners, or what is the position there?
I shall describe and define all that is necessary for my purpose when I bring in the Land Bill.
Arising out of the rather unusual form of the Minister's reply, which seems to be more like a statement of policy than a Parliamentary answer, I would ask the Minister will he bear in mind, when drafting the Land Bill, that considerable sacrifices were made in this country in the past in defence of the three Fs? If the Minister is not familiar with what they mean, may I remind him that they stand for fixity of tenure, free sale and fair rent? They are just as important today as they were 80 years ago.
If the Deputy thinks I do not know as much about it as every national schoolboy knows, he is making a mistake.
I shall not comment on that.
Every national schoolboy does not know it.