Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 593: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the searches that took place, by the Land Commission in the 1970s, to discover surviving family members in relation to lands acquired by the Land Commission for distribution by them (details supplied); and the way the changes introduced to the scheme impacted on existing family owned land at that time. [29159/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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During its period of existence all decisions as to what land was acquired and distributed by the Land Commission was a matter reserved by law to the Land Commissioners. As well as compulsory acquisition powers, the Commission also accepted voluntary surrender of land, which could be used as part of re arrangement proceedings. The Land Commission was dissolved in 1999 by the commencement of the Irish Land Commission (Dissolution) Act 1992.

The searches mentioned by the Deputy for surviving family members in the 1970's are not documented in the available papers, and if they were deemed necessary at the time, they would have been conducted by the local Inspector. The powers of the Commission and the Minister are set out in Section 12 of the Land Act 1950. It is not clear what changes to the scheme the Deputy is referring to.

Of the three folios mentioned in the details supplied the Land Commission had no dealings in the 1970's with the last two. On the first mentioned folio a small area of approximately one acre was surrendered under exchange proceedings by the then registered owner in May 1973.

There appears to be some confusion about the Record No. given by the Deputy in the details. The entire area of the townland named was dealt with under the Estate reference number 9823 and not 9923 as stated. The Land Commission at the time appears to have inadvertently used the incorrect reference number on a map dated 1935.