Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Irish Land Commisssion
Irish Land Commisssion
Acquisition and Distribution of Agricultural Land in Ireland during the 20th Century
Topics
1. Historical Background & Land Reform in Ireland (19th Century) 2. Role of the Irish Land Commission in Distribution of Agricultural Land in Ireland from 1923 to 1992 3. Dissolution of the Irish Land Commission in 1992 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
Role of the Irish Land Commission in Distribution of Agricultural Land in Ireland from 1923 to 1992
Irish Independence in 1922 Land Commission reconstituted introduction of structural reform + compulsory acquisition of land introduced ---------------------------------- Tenanted land to vest in the Land Commission for reallocation Untenanted land in CDB areas vested in the Land Commission and re-allocated All untenanted land outside CDB acquired by voluntary agreement and re-allocated
Role of the Irish Land Commission in Distribution of Agricultural Land in Ireland from 1923 to 1992
How was landlord paid for the land taken? 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 Annuity repayment scheme really a mortgage.
Role of the Irish Land Commission in Distribution of Agricultural Land in Ireland from 1923 to 1992
What administrative systems were required to operate the vesting programme? At its peak over 1000 staff worked for the Land Commission
Inspectorate Survey General Lands Staff Legal Services Records Quasi Judicial Functions
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 distributed by the Congested Districts Board and the Estates Commissioners amongst 35,000 allotees by way of enlargements of uneconomic holdings or by the creation of new holdings.
From 1923 some 2.5 million acres of land were distributed among some 150,000 beneficiaries Over 2,000 families migrated to new holdings Improved land use by assisting 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 Land Commission built houses and out-offices, carried out drainage and reclamation works, erected fencing and provided roads and water supplies In short, it fashioned the fabric of rural Ireland
Role of the Irish Land Commission in Distribution of Agricultural Land in Ireland from 1923 to 1992
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 public office.
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 of Agriculture in 1999. The Judicial Functions of the former Land Commission were transferred to the President of the Irish High Court in 1999.