143:
period had been poorer and more desperate, and few came from larger prosperous farms. This remained a matter of policy debate for the rest of the commission's existence; generally, it continued to create new small units by breaking up larger units that had more commercial potential. Larger commercial farmers were characterised as "landlords" or "grazers" simply because they had more land than the average.
130:, which provided government finance to buy out freeholds, with the former tenant farmers paying back the capital over 68 years. This was managed by the Land Commission, along with ancillary work such as compiling statistics. Valuations were reckoned on a years purchase (Y.P.) basis, the price being a multiple of (perhaps 16 times) the annual rent, instead of the
340:. In 1983, the Commission ceased acquiring land; this signified the start of the end of the commission's reform of Irish land ownership, though freehold transfers of farmland still had to be signed off by the Commission into the 1990s. The Lands Section of the Department of Agriculture was seen as an overgrown entity, employing 750 people in 1983; its budget of
231:(the CDB). Provision was made for compulsory purchase of land owned by a non-Irish citizen. Untenanted land could now be compulsorily purchased and divided out to local families; this was applied unevenly across the State, with some large estates surviving if the owners could show that their land was being actively farmed.
548:
Abolished by the Irish Free State (Consequential
Provisions) Act 1922, second schedule part III; re-established by the Land Act 1923, section 2.—(1): "Notwithstanding the provisions of Part III. of the Second Schedule to the Irish Free State (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1922, whereby the office of
369:
of certain functions of the commission and the four lay commissioners, mainly to allow for the disposal of land on hand and for the continuation of controls in the purchase of land by non-qualified persons; the transfer to the
Minister of all land and other property vested in the commission, with the
308:
system, as longer arrangements could cause an owner to lose his farm by compulsory purchase by the Land
Commission. While there were now some 300,000 Irish landowners compared to several thousand in the late nineteenth-century, the basic term for the use of land had reverted to the norm of the 1860s,
138:
By 1908 the emerging problem was whether the new owners would be economically viable on their small farms. Michael McDonnell commented, "The breaking up of the grazing lands, which in many instances the landlords are keeping back from the market, has not met with much success under the Act, and it is
34:
was created by the
British crown in 1843 to "inquire into the occupation of the land in Ireland. The office of the commission was in Dublin Castle, and the records were, on its conclusion, deposited in the records tower there, from whence they were transferred in 1898 to the Public Record Office". It
328:
allowed for investment within the EEC by any citizen of an EEC member state. This naturally undermined the ethos of the Land
Commission, which had processed a further 807,000 acres (3,270 km) since 1923. By the early 1970s, half of open market land purchases were by non-farmers, and half of
142:
It was realised by now that existing rural poverty arose from small farm sizes, yet the procedures and limits of the Acts also tended to keep farm sizes down. The aim had been to create "peasant proprietors" owning what were usually small farms. By definition, the activists in the 1880s Land War
100:
360:
The Bill is designed to give statutory effect to the position which has obtained since 1983. In short, the Bill provides for the dissolution of the Land
Commission; the revocation of the power of the State to take over land, except by exchange, for land settlement purposes; the transfer to the
257:
The commission, whilst often regarded as the champion of land ownership for those who used it, and social justice, was not without controversy. In particular its subdivision of land into uneconomic units has had a lasting effect, as well as the destruction of fine landlords' residences such as
275:
reports from the 1920s to the 1960s frequently include questions about the division of former estates, and the acquisition of land with public finance on favourable terms for constituents via the Land
Commission was understood as a way for politicians to gain electoral support.
242:
lamented that there were already: "250,000 occupiers of uneconomic holdings, the holdings of such a valuation as did not permit of a decent livelihood for the owners". Despite this, his government continued to subdivide larger landholdings, primarily to gain electoral support.
198:
on 6 December 1922, with
Northern Ireland remaining within the United Kingdom. The Land Commission files for Northern Ireland were separated, allowing for the Land Commission to be re-established in and for the Free State in 1923 as if it had never been abolished.
352:. Civil servants working for the Land Commission were reassigned to work on related matters. The Irish Land Commission (Dissolution) Act 1992 gave the Minister for Agriculture the power to formally dissolve the commission. In proposing this legislation, Minister
309:
with no rights to renew a lease and no incentive to improve rented land. By 1980, some 860,000 acres (3,500 km) in the state were rented annually under conacre, suggesting a new imbalance between mere ownership and the more active farmers. The cost of
266:
with
Government approval. As farming became more mechanized from the 1930s, foreign investment in commercial farms was discouraged, reducing overall farm output. Often the buyers found it hard to earn enough to live a good life, as found in the poems of
139:
difficult to see how compulsion is to be avoided if the country is to be saved from the economically disastrous position of having established in it a number of occupying owners on tenancies which are not large enough to secure to them a living wage."
288:
and coalition cabinets consistently argued for larger farms to be encouraged, instead of sponsoring new small farmers that often had too little capital, skills or enthusiasm. This was successfully opposed for social and political reasons by
549:
Commissioner of the Irish Land
Commission ceased to exist as from the transfer date, the Irish Land Commission shall be deemed to have had since the transfer date continuous corporate existence in Saorstát Eireann …"
161:
In 1915, Chief Secretary Birrell confirmed in Parliament that all Irish land transfers from 1885 to the end of 1914 had cost the British Government ÂŁ91,768,450, and the tenants had invested a further ÂŁ1,584,516.
134:
method used today. The commission had to supervise the haggling process and find the fairest multiple for every transfer. The loans issued by the government were resold in the capital markets as Land Bonds.
349:
250:
from 1933 to 1938, and was mutually resolved by a one-off payment of ÂŁ10m to Britain in 1938. From 1932 the government argued strongly that Irish farmers should no longer be obliged for
211:
in 1925, and the activities of the Land Commission were finally abolished in 1935. Some remaining tenants who had chosen not to exercise their right to buy their farms formed the
123:
254:
to pay Britain for Irish land, but when Britain had passed out of the payment system it still required farmers to continue to pay their annuities to it as before.
320:
The Lands Act 1965 was passed to restrict new foreign investment in agriculture, some of which was speculatively based upon the Ireland's planned entry into the
246:
The Land Act 1933, passed on a vote of 70–39, allowed the Minister for Finance to divert the annuities for local government projects. This was a factor in the
191:
81:
868:
182:
as Minister for Home Affairs, and approved a decree stating that all claims to land should not be adjudicated on until after the end of the war.
487:
65:(the Ashbourne Act), the Commission developed into a tenant-purchasing commission and assisted in the agreed transfer of freehold farmland from
344:
15m included IRÂŁ8m for administration costs and only IRÂŁ7m for actual land purchase or division. Further purchases were suspended that year by
337:
383:
366:
878:
718:
873:
631:"Private Business. – Treaty (Confirmation of Amending Agreement) Bill, 1925—second Stage (Resumed) – Dáil Éireann (4th Dáil)"
89:
78:
228:
62:
399:
365:
of the jurisdictions vested in the Office of the judicial commissioner and in the appeal tribunal; the transfer to the
175:
506:
325:
238:
as land annuities, accruing in a Land Purchase Fund. This was fixed at ÂŁ250,000 annually in 1925. In December 1925
212:
119:
863:
17:
452:
154:, allowed for tenanted land purchase where the owner was unwilling to sell, to be bought by the commission by
613:
779:
609:
387:
630:
411:
362:
321:
147:
112:
36:
194:
abolished many all-island offices, including the Land Commissioners, effective from the creation of the
477:
Ireland and the Home Rule Movement, Michael F. J. McDonnell, 1908; chapter 4 on Land Policy, page 77.
227:
by the Land Law (Commission) Act 1923, backdated to the state's creation. The Act also dissolved the
171:
85:
608:
Land Law (Commission) Act 1923, s. 2: Confirmation of powers of the Irish Land Commission (
693:
667:
523:
476:
815:
371:
107:
The Commission eventually transferred 13.5 million acres (55,000 km) by 1920. Following the
93:
797:
310:
584:
559:
840:
836:
668:"Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers – Bond Estate, County Longford – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil)"
247:
353:
345:
131:
8:
155:
56:
336:
By the 1980s, just before its reform, the Land Commission was a body responsible to the
304:
Under the 1923 Act, busier farmers had to rent extra land under an 11-month or seasonal
844:
823:
617:
524:"Claims To Land—dairy, Agricultural And Residential Holdings – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil)"
314:
235:
127:
290:
499:
251:
151:
43:). For a century it was the body responsible for re-distributing farmland in most of
694:"Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers – Mayo Land Division – Dáil Éireann (15th Dáil)"
655:
298:
268:
263:
224:
208:
195:
70:
84:, was funded initially with ÂŁ5,000,000, and was designed to avert support for the
510:
416:
404:
379:
259:
179:
108:
294:
239:
115:
40:
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in 1999. Most of the remaining liabilities and assets were transferred to the
285:
857:
503:
370:
exception of fishing rights and fisheries which will be transferred to the
341:
835:
Irish Land Commission (Dissolution) Act 1992 (Commencement) Order 1999 (
819:
77:
that had started in 1879. It was rapidly enacted by the government of
400:
Commons statement on the practicalities of land purchase, July 1919
330:
99:
74:
66:
305:
174:
in the early 1920s, some farms were seized, and in June 1920 the
44:
719:
Land distribution policy 1940-70; 2001 essay by David Seth Jones
272:
498:ÂŁ93 million in 1914 was worth about ÂŁ69 billion by 2005, given
35:
took on the role of a rent fixing commission in 1881 under the
780:"Irish Land Commission (Dissolution) Bill 1989: Second Stage"
374:; and the payment of compensation to the lay commissioners.
185:
839:). Signed on 30 March 1999. Statutory Instrument of the
585:"Northern Ireland Land Purchase (Winding Up) Act 1935"
329:
those were to buy small sites, typically for building
756:
735:
723:
753:
NESC report no. 27 "New farm operators 1971 to 1975"
234:
From 1923, the amounts outstanding were paid to the
192:
Irish Free State (Consequential Provisions) Act 1922
386:. Many relevant historical records are held by the
88:, given the larger number of voters allowed by the
350:Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture
279:
146:The Irish Land Act 1909, fostered by the Liberal
855:
814:; Irish Land Commission (Dissolution) Act 1992 (
773:
771:
798:"Irish Land Commission (Dissolution) Act 1992"
777:
768:
818:). Enacted on 11 November 1992. Act of the
409:
92:, before the IPP entered an alliance with
405:Connaught landed estates on-line database
223:The commission was reconstituted in the
98:
762:
741:
729:
612:). Enacted on 24 July 1923. Act of the
428:
313:requires larger farm sizes to generate
186:1922–23: abolition and re-establishment
73:. This was a response to the turbulent
14:
869:Agriculture in the Republic of Ireland
856:
412:"Records of the Irish Land Commission"
90:Representation of the People Act 1884
47:. It was formally abolished in 1999.
324:, which occurred in 1973. The EEC's
165:
202:
63:Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act 1885
24:
393:
293:, and in coalition governments by
218:
25:
890:
879:1999 disestablishments in Ireland
778:O'Kennedy, Michael (2 May 1989).
384:Minister for Agriculture and Food
367:Minister for Agriculture and Food
356:explained the bill's provisions:
111:of December 1902 arranged by the
560:"Northern Ireland Land Act 1925"
120:Land Purchase (Ireland) Act 1903
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103:Irish Land League poster, 1880s
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874:1885 establishments in Ireland
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280:Policy changes and dissolution
13:
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656:Land Act 1933 debate and vote
213:Unbought Tenants' Association
207:The Land Acts were varied in
178:debated a motion proposed by
27:Public body from 1843 to 1999
388:National Archives of Ireland
7:
363:President of the High Court
322:European Economic Community
148:Chief Secretary for Ireland
113:Chief Secretary for Ireland
37:Land Law (Ireland) Act 1881
10:
895:
804:. Oireachtas. 2 March 1989
410:Fitzsimons, Fiona (2014).
54:
39:(also known as the second
429:Maguire, Desmond (1983).
338:Department of Agriculture
284:From 1940, a minority in
229:Congested Districts Board
172:Irish War of Independence
86:Irish Parliamentary Party
82:The Marquess of Salisbury
698:Houses of the Oireachtas
672:Houses of the Oireachtas
635:Houses of the Oireachtas
528:Houses of the Oireachtas
438:
509:19 January 2008 at the
372:Central Fisheries Board
94:William Ewart Gladstone
864:Land reform in Ireland
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311:agricultural machinery
104:
843:. Retrieved from
841:Government of Ireland
822:. Retrieved from
616:. Retrieved from
488:Birrell February 1915
358:
248:Anglo-Irish Trade War
102:
32:Irish Land Commission
610:No. 27 of 1923, s. 2
433:. Dublin: Agribooks.
132:discounted cash flow
122:was steered through
837:S.I. No. 75 of 1999
784:Dáil Éireann debate
156:compulsory purchase
57:Land Acts (Ireland)
845:Irish Statute Book
824:Irish Statute Book
637:. 10 December 1925
618:Irish Statute Book
589:Legislation.gov.uk
564:Legislation.gov.uk
500:currency inflation
457:virtualtreasury.ie
315:economies of scale
236:British government
105:
700:. 9 February 1955
502:in the meantime (
354:Michael O'Kennedy
166:1920: Dáil decree
152:Augustine Birrell
16:(Redirected from
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346:Paul Connaughton
299:Clann na Talmhan
297:, the leader of
269:Patrick Kavanagh
264:Shanbally Castle
252:historic reasons
225:Irish Free State
209:Northern Ireland
203:Northern Ireland
196:Irish Free State
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417:History Ireland
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394:Further reading
380:came into force
291:Éamon de Valera
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260:Monellan Castle
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219:Irish Land Acts
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180:Arthur Griffith
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128:William O'Brien
109:Land Conference
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18:Land Commission
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530:. 29 June 1920
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116:George Wyndham
79:Prime Minister
55:Main article:
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41:Irish Land Act
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786:. oireachtas.
785:
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765:, p. 32.
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742:Maguire 1983
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702:. Retrieved
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674:. 1 May 1934
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51:UK Land Acts
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453:"StackPath"
286:Fianna Fáil
170:During the
858:Categories
820:Oireachtas
704:17 January
678:17 January
641:17 January
614:Oireachtas
594:17 January
569:17 January
534:16 January
124:Parliament
61:Under the
808:15 August
504:See this)
331:bungalows
96:in 1886.
507:Archived
378:The act
75:Land War
67:landlord
462:27 June
306:conacre
45:Ireland
271:. The
118:, the
71:tenant
802:Bills
439:Notes
810:2018
706:2021
680:2021
643:2021
596:2021
571:2021
536:2021
464:2022
424:(1).
273:Dáil
262:and
190:The
176:Dáil
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342:IRÂŁ
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
