Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The concentration of land ownership 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 land ownership 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 land ownership in the State?

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