§ MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)asked Mr. Solicitor General for Ireland, with reference to the eviction of Michael Cleary, of Carrowdoty, on the Vandeleur Estate, Whether he is aware that, under the 7th section of 11 & 12 Vict., a Sheriff or his officer is guilty of misdemeanour if, with intent to dispossess any person dwelling in a house, he "pull down, demolish, or unroof, in whole or in part" (except so far as is absolutely necessary to effect an entrance thereto) any such house, or building used as a dwelling house, whilst such person or any member of his family shall be actually within the same; whether this section has been incorporated in the 7th section of "The Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1887;" if it applies equally to all dwelling houses, whether the property of the landlord or of the tenant; and, whether the Government will take steps to prosecute certain Sheriffs and their officers who have violated this section by pulling down and demolishing larger portions of such dwelling houses than the necessities of the case required?
§ THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. MADDEN) (Dublin University)My answer to the first throe paragraphs is in the affirmative. From the information before me it would appear that there was no demolition of houses while the inmates remained in them, except—in the words of the statute—so far as was necessary to enable the Sheriff or his officer to effect an entrance thereto. Any subsequent demolition would not be in contravention of the statute.