(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state by reference to each county the number of sales to the Irish Land Commission agreed under the EEC Farm Retirement Scheme; and the number of such sales actually completed and the number of leases approved.
Ceisteann—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Retirement Scheme.
31.
The information requested is set out in a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Farmers' Retirement Scheme.
|
County |
Sales to Land Commission |
Leases by outgoers to development farmers |
|
|
Price agreed |
Completed |
Approved |
|
|
Number |
Number |
Number |
|
|
Carlow |
— |
— |
1 |
|
Cavan |
40 |
37 |
1 |
|
Clare |
27 |
22 |
1 |
|
Cork |
42 |
36 |
6 |
|
Donegal |
30 |
20 |
1 |
|
Dublin |
— |
— |
— |
|
Galway |
29 |
22 |
1 |
|
Kerry |
26 |
19 |
— |
|
Kildare |
1 |
1 |
— |
|
Kilkenny |
8 |
7 |
1 |
|
Laois |
16 |
16 |
4 |
|
Leitrim |
24 |
16 |
— |
|
Limerick |
16 |
14 |
5 |
|
Longford |
20 |
14 |
— |
|
Louth |
— |
— |
1 |
|
Mayo |
35 |
32 |
— |
|
Meath |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
Monaghan |
12 |
12 |
1 |
|
Offaly |
6 |
4 |
— |
|
Roscommon |
36 |
29 |
1 |
|
Sligo |
24 |
20 |
3 |
|
Tipperary |
18 |
15 |
7 |
|
Waterford |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Westmeath |
6 |
6 |
— |
|
Wexford |
8 |
8 |
2 |
|
Wicklow |
3 |
3 |
— |
|
430 |
356 |
39 |
Could the Minister give an idea of the total number of sales to the Land Commission completed?
Of farms under the retirement scheme?
Approximately.
I have the list but it is rather long.
I am interested to know if the Minister is satisfied with this scheme. I anticipate that the total numbers involved will not be very great.
They are not very great. I will pick out County Cork for the Deputy. He might be interested to know that sales there to the Land Commission amounted to 42 farms and 36 have been completed.
Arising out of this indication of low numbers could the Minister accept that changes and improvements in the scheme will be necessary if it is to become any way effective?
I accept that changes are necessary if it is to be a successful scheme.
Has the Minister any ideas in mind about what type of changes might be incorporated in the improvement?
I have ideas in mind but I am not prepared to give them at this stage.
Was it that the sales "dropped" to improvement in the second half of 1977?
Question No. 32.
32.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the number and total acreage of farms acquired under the farm retirement scheme; how these are allocated; and the number and total acreage allocated to date.
The total number of farms released to date by retiring farmers under the farmers' retirement scheme is 403 comprising an area of 17,351 acres.
Three hundred and fifty six of these properties (15,597 acres) were sold to the Land Commission while the balance were either sold or leased directly by the outgoers to potential development farmers needing extra land. To date, the Land Commission have allotted 57 of the farms purchased by them totalling 2,163 acres. In the allocation of such lands priority is given by the Land Commission to applicants whose approved development plans under the farm modernisation scheme indicate a need for additional land.
Most of the reports of the local agricultural inspectors state that the farms were allotted to applicants who have development land.
The local agricultural instructor plays a very important part in the allocation of this land because he has to report who is a development farmer and who is not. He has to report on the applicants for this land, and priority must be given to development farmers.
That is an acreage of 2,000 out of 15,000. It is rather small. Many potential development farmers are being stifled in their efforts to reach proper development status due to their inability to acquire land under this scheme. Can the Minister do anything to expedite the allocation of land?
I agree that it is necessary to speed up the allocation of land under this scheme. It takes considerable time to do the investigation. I hope that the Land Commission will try as far as is humanly possible to allocate the land with the least possible delay.
Is it not highly unsatisfactory that approximately 300 holdings have been sold to the Land Commission and they have re-allocated only 57?
The allocation of those farms requires considerable investigation, not alone from the Land Commission staff but also from the advisory staff. Perhaps that accounts for the low acreage allocated over those years. I hope that the Land Commission will as far as possible speed up their allocation of those lands.
Would the Minister not agree that any land acquired by the Land Commission should be re-allocated within 12 months of the date of acquisition?
I would agree if that were possible, but in some areas it is not. Sometimes the Land Commission might be trying to acquire other farms which would give them an opportunity of preparing a better scheme.
I am aware of that, but at the same time people who need land should get it and should not have to wait a couple of years.