asked the Minister for Agriculture the reason for the long delay in the distribution of land held by the Land Commission.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Distribution.
10.
The disposal of land is delayed because of the need to assign a considerable number of staff to the farm classification office. The disposal programme continues, however, with a view to its completion at the earliest possible date.
Can the Minister tell us if any other staff within the Land Commission section have been transferred to any other Government Department or agency, apart from those assigned to deal with the farm tax? Will he accept that in district offices of the Land Commission throughout the country there are now only one or two people dealing with land subdivision and allocation? Can he give any indication about when the land which has been on hand for a number of years will be completely allocated?
I am not aware that other staff have been seconded to areas other than to the farm tax office. Offically there has been some talk about staff for another Department but as far as I am aware nothing has happened. In so far as the programme for the allocation of land on hand is concerned, as of 31 March last we had 7,700 hectares on hand, of which 3,700 hectares were already approved for allotment by the Commissioners. That means in effect that we would have something like 10,000 acres yet to be allocated.
What is the position about the staff?
The former Land Commission had a number of holdings in County Kerry where they did not have vacant possession.
That is a separate question.
It is not.
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Treacy, I do not need your help to run the House.
Are the Minister's Department taking steps to have those farms properly taken over?
That is a big question. This matter may well come up later on a priority question. Perhaps we will leave it until then.
I did not get an answer to two parts of my question.
Before the Land Commission was abolished there was a practice in this House whereby at the beginning of the year Deputies could be told the estates which would be divided that year. Why has this practice not been continued? Can the Minister say what estates will be divided in County Galway in 1986?
I imagine it would be possible to get that information for the Deputy.
We are told that the assessment of land for farm tax is holding up division.
The fact that a number of inspectors have been changed from the Land Commission has obviously slowed down the allocation of land but that does not mean there is no allocation taking place.
It is slow.
Yes.
I asked a three-part question and received a reply to only one part.