asked the Minister for Agriculture the total acreage of land in the possession of the Land Commission in County Galway; and if he will furnish a detailed account of the size and location of each property.

24.

asked the Minister for Agriculture the proposals the Land Commission have for land division in County Galway in 1977; and if he will furnish a detailed account of each property including size and location.

25.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if the Land Commission are satisfied that their proposals for land division in County Galway in 1976 have been fully implemented; and, if not, if he will indicate the part of the programme that remains to be implemented.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 24 and 25 together. The total area of lettable lands on the hands of the Land Commission for division in County Galway is 8,348 acres. Particulars are set out in a table which, with your permission, Sir, I propose to circulate with the Official Report. It is expected that the cases marked with an asterisk will be allotted during the current year. The programme for 1976 envisaged the division of 90 properties. Of this number 69 were in fact divided; schemes for 13 others were prepared but were not finalised in time to permit operation and in eight other cases it was not possible to prepare the resale schemes. Other properties were included in the division programme resulting in a total allotment of 5,000 acres which is considered satisfactory.

Following is the table:

County Galway

Particulars of lettable lands (apart from turbary and insignificant residues of partly allotted properties) in possession of the Land Commission for division.

The Minister gave figures for 1976 — they were also given by his colleague to another Deputy— which were misleading. The amount of land actually divided in County Galway did not correspond with those figures. It is embarrassing for Land Commission officials to have to give figures and the names of estates to be divided when they are not subsequently divided. Is it true that the money for the Land Commission for 1977 according to the Estimates, has been cut?

No, it is not true.

Then the Land Commission have as much land for division——

Yes, they have 100,000 acres on hand not divided.

That is right but with the amount of money available to them can they carry out the programme the Minister is suggesting for 1977?

Yes, I am so advised.

The Minister should have another look at this because the Land Commission do not have any money.