asked the Minister for Agriculture (a) the total number of staff employed by the Land Commission in land purchase and acquisition, (b) if he is aware of the anxiety of the staff of the Land Commission as to their future employment; and (c) his present and future plans regarding the structure, scope and powers of the Land Commission.
Written Answers. - Land Commission Staff.
77.
The total number of indoor staff employed by the Land Commission who are exclusively involved in the acquisition and purchase of land is 38. On the inspectorate side it is estimated that the staff's direct involvement in this work is the equivalent of 45 officers working full time.
I can assure the Deputy that the staff of the Land Commission have no reason to be apprehensive as to their employment. Indeed, I would expect that, through their experience and expertise, they will have a valuable contribution to make in implementing future policy.
I have already announced that I hope to put proposals on future land policy to the Government before the end of the year. It would be premature for me, therefore, to make any statement on the future of the Land Commission at this stage. For the present, however, the current policies of the Land Commission will continue to operate but priority must be given to distributing the 70,000 acres of lettable lands already in the possession of the commission and to finalising the 1,130 cases, comprising almost 54,000 acres, in the process of acquisition.