irish land commisssion

7/31/2019 Irish Land Commisssion

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The Irish Land Commission

Acquisition and Distribution of

Agricultural Land in Ireland

during the 20th Century


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Topics

1. Historical Background & Land Reform in

Ireland (19th Century)

2. Role of the Irish Land Commission inDistribution of Agricultural Land in Ireland from1923 to 1992

3. Dissolution of the Irish Land Commission in1992

4. Transfer of its Administrative and Judicial

Functions in 1999 to the Dept of Agriculture 5. Current Role of the Department of Agriculture

6. The Land Act 2005

7. The Future of Land Acquisition in Ireland


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Historical Background & Land

Reform in Ireland (19th Century)

16th and 17th Century

Land Act 1860

Land Act 1870

Irish Land League

Land Act 1881


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Role of the Irish Land Commission in Distribution of

Agricultural Land in Ireland from 1923 to 1992

Irish Independence in 1922

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Land Act of 1923

Land Commission reconstitutedintroduction of structuralreform + compulsoryacquisition of land introduced

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Tenanted land to vest in theLand Commission for re-allocation

Untenanted land in CDB areasvested in the Land Commission

and re-allocated All untenanted land outside

CDB acquired by voluntaryagreement and re-allocated


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How was landlord paid for the

land taken?

How did tenant pay for the land

vested?

Initially from 1923 by way of

Government Land Bonds

(4.5%) and then from 1950, by

cash.

The tenant received a notional

advance from the Land

Commission and entered into a

Land Purchase Annuityrepayment scheme really a

mortgage.


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What administrative

systems were required tooperate the vesting

programme?

At its peak over 1000 staff

worked for the LandCommission

Inspectorate

Survey General Lands Staff

Legal Services

Records

Quasi Judicial Functions


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What did the Land Commission achieve before

1922? More than 300,000 holdings,

comprising 11 million acres,were purchased from landlords

for some 100 million. In addition, 750,000 acres of

untenanted land was distributedby the Congested DistrictsBoard and the Estates

Commissioners amongst 35,000allotees by way of enlargementsof uneconomic holdings or bythe creation of new holdings.


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What did the Land Commission achieve after 1922?

From 1923 some 2.5 million acres of land were distributed among some150,000 beneficiaries

Over 2,000 families migrated to new holdings

Improved land use by assist ing farmers with commonage division and

re-arrangement of holdings Provided many plots of land for use by local communities as sports

fields, fairgrounds, cow parks etc.

Structural reform resulted in extensive improvement works. The LandCommission built houses and out-offices, carried out drainage and

reclamation works, erected fencing and provided roads and watersupplies

In short, it fashioned the fabric of rural Ireland


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The Land Commission is a vast treasury of information relating to

land in Ireland.

Records Branch in Dublin holds about 8 million documents

stored in 26,000 boxes

This Branch receives about 3,000 requisitions each year from

various parties, as well as about 500 personal callers to its publicoffice.


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Dissolution of the Irish Land Commission in 1992

The Land Commission

was dissolved by Act of

the Oireachtas (Irish

Primary Legislation) in1992.

The Act dissolved the

Commission, but not itswork per se


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Transfer of its Administrative and Judicial Functions

in 1999 to the Dept of Agriculture

The Administrative Functions of the former Land

Commission were transferred to the Department ofAgriculture in 1999.

The Judicial Functions of the former Land Commission

were transferred to the President of the Irish High Court in1999.


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Current Role of the Department of Agriculture &

Food

Collection Branchis charged with:

1. The ongoing collection of annuities from farmers

2. The collection of these annuities is a complicated, difficult and time

consuming process. It involves issuing requests for payments twice a year

Lands Divisionis charged with:

1. Disposing of the remaining 200 hectares of agricultural land and non-agricultural land still on hands

2. Disposing of a vast amount of turbary rights3. Regularising the title of the remaining 800 allotees who have to bevested

4. Regularising the tit le of the remaining 550 commonage shareholders whohave to be vested


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Current Role of the Department of Agriculture &

Food

5. Exercise of statutory controls over subdivision andpurchase of land by non-qualified persons.

6 Dealing with a wide range of queries.

7. Overseeing some 500 trust properties with a view todisposal.

8. Discharging the functions of the Public Trustee over 150trusts where money has been put aside for the repair and

maintenance of embankments, sluice gates etc.

9. Lands Division as part of Legal Services Division worksin conjunction with its Legal Staff, Inspectors andSurveyors


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The Land Act 2005

The Land Act 2005 was passed into Irish law in October 2005.

The Legislation provides for a discounted Land Purchase Annuity buy-out for 2600 farmers and a write-off of certain annuities for 4500 farmers.

The proposed legislation also provides for amendments to various Land

Acts for simpler and more efficient administration


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The Future of Land Acquisition in Ireland

There will be no more compulsory acquisition of agricultural land for

redistribution from landlords to tenants by the Irish Government.

As far back as 1978 an Inter-Departmental Committee set up toexamine the land question concluded that the policy of acquisition andredistribution had outlived its usefulness and should be abandoned.

Such acquisitions now might be anti competitive, unconstitutional, inbreach of guarantees under the European Convention of Human rights.

Compensation values to be paid to landlords would now be very high.

The single payment necessitates the holding of agricultural land, so itwill increase in value and people will hold onto it rather than sell.


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Nl aon tinten na do thintein fen!

irish land commisssion

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