asked the Minister for Lands why the Land Commission have not yet made payment to a person in County Roscommon (name supplied) in respect of a farm in County Roscommon possession of which was granted in 1970.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Galway and Roscommon Farms.
50.
The purchase money of these lands was put to credit as from 26th November, 1970, the date of possession, and bears interest from that date.
Until satisfactory evidence of title is lodged the Land Commission cannot proceed to distribute the funds to the person or persons entitled thereto.
Can the Minister tell me on whom the onus falls to produce evidence of title? Is it the person who is selling the land or is it the legal representatives of the Land Commission?
I have not got a lot of information here but the information I have indicates that the solicitors for the owners were requested to lodge title documents in October, 1970. Six reminders have issued. In their replies solicitors for the owners state that they have difficulty collecting particulars of title but that as soon as they get enough information together they will furnish title. That would seem to indicate that there is a problem regarding title and that it is a matter for the solicitor for the owners to clear up the matter of title.
Is the Minister aware that the person concerned here is a very old man? I do not think it is fair to him to delay this matter any further. The Land Commission should have some power to compel the legal representatives of the person who is selling the land to submit satisfactory evidence because this apparently is where the delay is. The legal representatives in this and many other cases are not furnishing the necessary information to the Land Commission and consequently are delaying the completion of the sale and payment of the money to the person involved.
I have given the Deputy the information I have. We all agree about the undue delay that can occur regarding matters of title. I will talk to my colleague, the Minister for Lands, about this case.
The Minister will agree that it is the legal representatives who are holding it up?
O.K.
51.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will state (a) the number of farms acquired by the Land Commission by agreement in Counties Galway and Roscommon in the period 1969 to 1974; (b) the number of these farms for which final payment has yet to be made; (c) the length of time between taking possession of farms and the making of final payment and (d) the length of time in the case of five farms with the longest intervening period between the taking of possession and the making of final payment.
In the period from 1st January, 1969, to 31st December, 1973, the Land Commission purchased by agreement in counties Galway and Roscommon a total of 99 and 79 properties, respectively. Final payment of the purchase money has been made in all cases with the exception of five in County Galway and three in County Roscommon. Where the purchase money was payable in cash it was paid on the day the Land Commission obtained possession and where it was payable in land bonds the length of time between the taking of possession and payment varied from three months to 30 months. The five longest such periods were 31 months, 27 months, 25 months, 20 months and 19 months.