andMr. G. Collins asked the Minister for Lands if there is a change in the criteria for the allocation of lands by the Land Commission; and, if so, if he will give details.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Allocation Criteria.
59.
(Cavan): The only change in the criteria for establishing the eligibility of applicants for land from the Land Commission is one which arises from the farmers' retirement scheme which became operative on the 1st inst. Farmers with development plans approved under the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries farm modernisation scheme will have priority on lands made available by the retirement scheme where their plans confirm that extra land is needed.
This is exactly what I said to the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries last week. According to that directive, the Minister is aware that development farmers must get preference in regard to land from the Land Commission. Therefore, if there are a number of development farmers the land available for transitional farmers may consist only of what is available at the moment to the Land Commission.
(Cavan): I will clarify the position further for the Deputy. The farmers operating a development scheme which provides that they want more land will have priority on lands surrendered under the retirement scheme, but on that land only. The ordinary traditional process of the Land Commission will still be available to acquire land for other farmers.
I fully appreciate that that is correct but if and when the modernisation scheme comes into operation and these directives are in force, would the Minister not think that the present staff of the Land Commission will be completely occupied? Will money be available for the type of land that will be available for the development farmers? Very little land will be acquired that can go to the traditional farmers, particularly paying by cash.
(Cavan): I do not anticipate at all that that will be the case. It is true that the staff of the Land Commission have been allowed to run down in recent years.
I am not saying that in any bad-humoured manner. It is a fact that the inspectorial staff of the Land Commission have been allowed to run down over the last four years. I am trying now to remedy that by recruiting further staff. I will not be satisfied until there is adequate staff available to carry out the work of the Land Commission. I believe that the scheme which has been introduced will be operated in a reasonable way. Even land that is surrendered under the retirement scheme will, I hope, be made available to transitional farmers if there are no development farmers available for it. If there are sufficient development farmers to use up all the land that is made available under the scheme, I would hope that the ordinary traditional methods of the Land Commission will procure land for the type of farmer the Deputy has in mind.
Now that the Minister has decided to pay in cash for the land—and that is the answer he gave——
(Cavan): No.
I want to have the land bonds redeemable at par. The Minister said he was thinking of phasing them out completely. With the present budget of the Land Commission, would they be in a position to buy land for transitional farmers?
(Cavan): It is not correct to say that land bonds have been abolished. The Deputy knows that is not so.
"Phased out" were the words used.
(Cavan): I said that I hoped to do that. It is a fact that there is more money provided in this year's budget for the purchase of land in cash than was ever provided before. The greatest sum provided before was £1 million for a full year. We provided £3 million for a full year in this year's budget.
Inflation.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.