Sligo-Leitrim Land Division Delays
McLaughlin complained that farms held by the Land Commission had been rented out for five to ten years. Fitzpatrick said land was normally not retained beyond two years, though improvements or the need to coordinate schemes could cause delays; the exchange was cut short when the Chair moved to other business.
asked the Minister for Lands if he will have the division of land expedited as many farmers in Sligo-Leitrim complain about farms that are rented out by the Land Commission for the past five years and in some cases for ten years.
Comment on this
(Cavan): Every effort is made to dispose of lands on hands of the Land Commission as rapidly as possible and there are standing instructions to the effect that acquired lands should not normally be retained on hands longer than two years. This is not always feasible, however—for example where improvement works have to be carried out or where, in occasional cases, the preparation of resale proposals must be deferred pending the acquisition of other lands so that the scheme of division ultimately settled will be the best possible.
It can be taken that the speedy allocation of lands on hands—in Counties Sligo and Leitrim as elsewhere—is high on the Land Commission's list of priorities but the Deputy will appreciate that circumstances do not always permit of the disposal of lands as quickly as would be wished.
Since I assumed office the inspectorate staff of the Land Commission has been strengthened with a view to ensuring that there will be no undue delay in this vital sector of the work of the Land Commission.
