asked the Minister for Lands if he will give particulars of the estates in the possession of the Land Commission in North Tipperary giving the date of acquisition, the acreage, the name of each estate, the townland and the probable date of division.

The particulars requested are contained in a tabular statement which I propose, with the permission of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, to circulate with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:—

COUNTY TIPPERARY NR.

PARTICULARS of Estates—(apart from turbary, insignificant residues of partly allotted properties and lands transferred in exchange)—in the possession of the Land Commission for division.

* Already partly allotted.

Notes:

1. It is not possible at present to indicate when the individual estates mentioned will be allotted but there will be no avoidable delay. The necessary local enquiries preliminary to allotment are being pushed forward as rapidly as circumstances permit.

2. During the last three complete financial years the aggregate area allotted in County Tipperary as a whole was approximately 4,700 acres.

128.

asked the Minister for Lands if he will give particulars of all the estates in the possession of the Land Commission in County Mayo; those in process of acquisition; and the names of the townlands concerned.

Land Commission activities in County Mayo are heavily concentrated and involve numerous estates and holdings. Many of the properties are of modest size and include remnants of Congested District Board estates, lands surrendered by migrants and small residues of allotted estates. The Deputy will appreciate that the extraction of the detailed information requested would entail a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour which would not be warranted. Moreover, as regards lands in the possession of the Land Commission for distribution, the position is subject to constant fluctuation depending on progress in intake and allotment—and the extensive information sought, even if staff were to be diverted specially to extract it, would be out of date within a short time.

In the circumstances, perhaps it would meet the Deputy's requirements to know that at 31st March, 1968, the Land Commission had on hand in County Mayo an aggregate area of some 4,500 acres of arable land to be used for land settlement in the county. In addition, 33 estates aggregating some 750 acres are at present the subject of inquiry with a view to considering acquisition or purchase—while proceedings are at various stages for compulsory acquisition of 195 estates containing 6,560 acres and negotiations are in progress for voluntary purchase of 107 properties comprising 3,120 acres.