Vol. 395 No. 7
20 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he has considered the establishment of a national land authority particularly to encourage farm mobility to trained young people; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
77 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the progress he has made in implementing the following promises made in the 1987 Fianna Fáil election manifesto: (a) to set up a new agriculture and food council to have a continuous representative policy input (b) to convert farm debts to long-term mortgage-type finance and (c) to set up a land authority.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 77 together. The position is as follows: Continuous input into policy making from all the major sectors of the industry is now being dealt with in the context of the Government's Programme for National Recovery. Progress is being monitored regularly by the central review committee. I have recently instituted a policy review group to specify the key objectives for the agriculture and food sector in the medium term and to recommend the major policies to be used in working towards those objectives. The main organisations concerned have been consulted and written submissions have been invited from other interested persons or groups. In these circumstances it is not envisaged that an agriculture and food council will be established at this stage.
The provision of mortgage type finance is essentially a matter between the lending agency and the individual farmer concerned and all the major financial institutions are in a position to offer long-term agricultural loans.
I have considered the setting up of a land authority. I am not satisfied that a land authority are warranted at the present time or that they would have the effect on mobility suggested in the Deputy's question. Apart from the very high cost which would be incurred by the Exchequer there could be also constitutional problems involved.
However, the question of a land authority and the functions which they might exercise are being kept under review in the light of changes in the Common Agricultural Policy and other developments. The position of young people wishing to enter farming has improved in recent years due to the greater opportunities for leasing land and the introduction of the installation premium.
May I remind the Minister that it is contained in the Government's White Paper? Is the Minister aware that the figures now show that 95,609 people left the land between 1971 and 1986 and that at present anybody with enough money can buy land whether for a hobby, an investment or bona fide farming, and that the only way to control land sale, which is a matter of urgency, is the establishment of a land authority who would have responsibility for the powers to monitor the control of land purchase? If we are to give more than lip service to the young people who have done training and have no land to make a living on, the Minister will agree that this is an urgent matter.
The matter of the movement of people from agriculture into industry and other areas is not a phenomenon confined to this country; it applies across Europe generally. The thrust of Deputy Sherlock's observations has to do with the regulation of the market for land. This has been considered in great depth. We are immediately into constitutional considerations——
They abolished the Land Commission——
——such as whether it will involve placing restrictions on those who would not wish to buy land and on those who perhaps would be offering land for sale. They are the practical problems there would be with the operation of a land authority with the sort of thrust and objective the Deputy has in mind.
I notice the Minister has distanced himself from the land authority, so that appears to be dead as far as this Government are concerned, although it was a subject of their proposals before the second last general election that we would have a land authority.
I did more on land policy than anyone has done since. Is there any possibility of having any staff at all around the country for commonage division and so on? Has the Minister any views on that?
The question Deputy Connaughton has posed is slightly removed from the questions we are dealing with here.
It is the same thing.
Where the division of commonage and groupings are involved we would be anxious to facilitate and help as best we can in the matter. I assure the Deputy we are applying our mind to the matter.
A Cheann Comhairle, may I ask your assistance if we are finished Question Time?
That disposes of questions for today.
Along with my colleague, Deputy Flaherty, I tabled a Private Notice Question on the alleged attack on Concern's humanitarian ship which was on its way to Ethopia. I understand from your office, a Cheann Comhairle, that the reason I could not raise that matter today was that there was not enough information forthcoming from the Department. I thought that the reason for tabling a Private Notice Question was to raise the issue, and irrespective of the information forthcoming, we should still have the opportunity to raise and discuss the issue here
I can only assure the Deputies concerned that my office are very anxious to facilitate them and that the matter is being looked into.
With your permission, Sir, may I seek to raise this issue on the Adjournment? My information is that Concern has been in constant touch with the Department.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I would like to be associated with that request as I had tabled the Private Notice Qustion with Deputy Owen. I find it extraordinary that the matter cannot be dealt with.
It is not necessary for the Deputy to go into detail. The Chair is seeking to facilitate Deputies. Let us be courteous about the matter.
The Minister knows nothing and has done nothing.
