asked the Minister for Agriculture (1) if an application has been received for consent to the sale of the SMA Holding (details supplied) in County Mayo, under section 45 of the Land Act; (2) the decision if any, on such application; (3) if the Land Commission intend to acquire the estate; and when a decision is expected in this regard.

No application has been received by the Land Commission for a consent under section 45 of the Land Act, 1965, to the purchase of the holding in question. The commission are at present considering what steps they should take in the matter.

18.

asked the Minister for Agriculture the acreage acquired by the Land Commission in each year since 1970.

The reply takes the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

Total area acquired by Land Commission (through direct acquisition or exchange)

Question No. 19 postponed.

20.

asked the Minister for Agriculture the average time now being given to issue Land Commission subdivision consents; if it is correct that delays are now greater than in the past and the steps, if any, being taken to remedy the situation.

I am informed that in straight-forward cases consent to subdivision normally issues in one to three weeks but more complex cases involving correspondence with the applicants or local investigation necessarily take longer. The operations of the branch concerned are currently being reviewed with a view to seeing whether clearance of applications can be expedited. Under a general consent procedure introduced over a year ago, application to the Land Commission for individual consent is, in fact, no longer necessary in cases involving areas not exceeding one acre.

21.

(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of notice served under section 40 of the Land Act 1965 in each of the years 1970 to 1978 inclusive and the number of cases in which it was decided to institute compulsory acquisition proceedings in each of these years.

The numbers of estates in respect of which notices under section 40, Land Act, 1923, were served and the numbers of estates in which compulsory acquisition proceedings were instituted by the Land Commission in each of the years 1970 to 1978 inclusive are set out in a tabular statement, which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

22.

asked the Minister for Agriculture the amount of land purchased by the Irish Land Commission each year for the past ten years.

The reply takes the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

Intake of land by the Land Commission through direct acquisition

23.

asked the Minister for Agriculture to state the total number of holdings acquired by the Land Commission in County Cork from 1971 to 1978 inclusive and the total acreage involved.

Four hundred and nineteen holdings comprising an aggregate area of 5,952 hectares were acquired by the Land Commission in County Cork in the period mentioned. Allotments in the same period totalled 5,650 hectares.

24.

asked the Minister for Agriculture the factors that are under review and the influence he could use to have the Land Commission change their proposals and acquire the Clancy estate, Carraghy, Claregalway, County Galway.

The Land Commission are keeping this case under review pending clarification of the question of ownership. When the full position is known, they will have further inquiries made with a view to determining whether acquisition proceedings should be instituted.

As the Deputy is aware, it is a matter for the Land Commissioners to decide whether there are grounds for the institution of proceedings and I am arranging to have his representations brought to their notice.