The concentration of landownership in many parts of the country is a problem. It is particularly noticeable in south Tipperary and, indeed, the OPW's activities in north Clare are creating their own pressures. Obviously, the Tánaiste will be aware of the Irish Land Commission. It was abolished in the last century but he was a Deputy at the time. Nobody is proposing that it be reintroduced but many EU member states have measures to control the acquisition of land and the concentration of landownership to ensure that farmers can hope to increase their land holdings and that large corporations do not buy up huge blocks of land, driven by tax policy as much as by anything else. Will the Government examine these types of measures in Ireland? Will it look at our tax policies and measures around concentration of landownership in the State?

I am aware that this is an issue in particular areas of the country. We have a land market and there are no such restrictions in place at the moment but it is open to any private individual or Member of the Parliament to come forward with any suggestions they might wish to propose in that regard. It is not something that the Department of agriculture has assessed. Obviously landownership, and the right of people to sell or acquire land in an open market is the situation that pertains. Our farming model is based on the family farm and that is certainly something we encourage through public policy and the various schemes that we have in place and through policy supports. It is certainly open to the Deputy, as a Member of this Parliament, to put forward any suggestions he has in this regard and to have them fully debated in the House.