asked the Minister for Agriculture if he has instructed the Land Commission not to acquire any further land for division among small holders.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Division.
15.
No such instruction has been issued but, as I indicated in reply to a question on 11 July, I have decided that pending the introduction of a new land policy there should be increased emphasis on the distribution of lands already acquired and on finalising acquisition proceedings already in progress.
Is the Minister saying that the Land Commission are free to acquire land at present?
Yes; they are continuing to acquire land.
Has the Minister revised the conditions for acquiring land?
Only within the context of the reply I gave on 11 July, to bear in mind the introduction of the new land authority. That is the instruction that went to Land Commission officers in July.
Is the Minister aware that the Land Commission have ceased to acquire land?
I am not so aware.
That is a fact.
It is not.
Is the Minister aware that the Land Commission have been informed that conditions which were out of date 50 years ago, such as a certain number of small holders within one mile, will be introduced?
I should like to tell the Deputy that in this year, up to September, 6,767 hectares of land were acquired.
The purchase of such land takes several years.
That land was acquired this year.
It takes years to acquire such land.
The land was acquired in 1979.
I will not permit an argument on this question. We are not making much progress.
The Land Commission are not making much progress in acquiring land.
I should like to ask the Minister whether, among the other considerations, he finds in recent times that there is a resistance by those to whom the land is offered and who are most deserving, as to the price of that land?
The cost of land generally has an obvious effect on the amount of land that the Government can buy for distribution and, of course, on the cost of the repayment annuities. The Land Commission have authority to make a contribution to the funding of the annuities but even so, with the cost of land in recent years, the annuity remains prohibitively high in some places.
Is the Minister aware——
(Interruptions.)
Order. Deputy Enright, please.
Is the Minister aware that land prices have dropped considerably?
Will Deputy Enright allow me to interrupt? This refers to the Minister as well as to the Deputies. The Question on the Order Paper asks whether the Minister has instructed the Land Commission not to acquire land. That does not permit a full scale debate on the Land Commission. The Deputy will now please ask a relevant question.
Has the Minister written to many people throughout the country following representation from all of us in this House saying more or less that the Land Commission policy at the present time is to distribute lands that are on hands?
It should always have been their policy. I never believed in the Land Commission keeping land for years and years as they did. Did the Deputy?
I accept that policy as being of the utmost importance, but the Minister's letter went on to state that until the Land Bill came before the House there was a status quo with regard to acquiring land at present.
Is the Deputy referring to my letter of 11 July?
No, I am talking about a letter that the Minister sent to many public representatives in this House.
The Deputy is discussing my private post. I wonder if that is in order?
If it is private post that the Minister sent out, and I can tell the Minister what it contained. The Minister normally writes thousands of these standard letters per year. I would not consider them private.
Could I ask the Minister one final question? Can the Minister give us the number of cases where he instituted proceedings in 1979?
That is a separate question.
It is not, that is the whole thing. It relates to whether the Minister has instructed the Land Commission not to acquire land. The Minister told us that they acquired 6,000 acres in 1979. That refers to land for which proceedings were instituted in 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978, but I would like to know of the number of cases where proceedings were instituted this year? I want to know if they are making any progress.
If the Deputy listens I will tell him. From 1979 to date the number of section 40 inspection notices served and the number of estates is 62 and the number of compulsory acquisition proceedings instituted and the number of estates is 68.
That is a long way from the 6,000 the Minister was trying to mislead us into believing a few moments ago.
What 6,000?
The Minister told us that the Land Commission had acquired 6,000 acres of land.
I did not. I said 6,767 hectares, not acres.
Question No. 16.
That is a long way——
Does the Deputy know what a hectare is?
Question No. 16.