§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state what arrangements the Land Commissioners propose to make for the hearing of fair rent applications in the County Cork during the coming legal year; whether, during the past year, the Sub-Commission working in the County Cork has had 25 Poor Law Unions in its circuit as against an average of 17 Poor Law Unions in the case of other Sub-Commissions; what percentage of the total number of fair rent applications, lodged from the County Cork since the 1st September 1887, have been disposed of per month during the past 12 months; and what percentage of the total number of such applications from the rest of Ireland have been disposed of per month during the same period?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Land Commissioners report that the circuit lists for the coming legal year have not 482 yet been prepared. The Commissioners will make the best practical arrangements in their power for the hearing of fair rent applications, having regard to the claims of the various districts in Ireland. During the past year the Sub-Commission working in the County Cork has had 24 Poor Law Unions in its circuit, as against an average of 17 Unions for the rest of Ireland. The total number of fair rent applications lodged from the County Cork from September 1, 1887, to July 31, 1889, was 6,661. During the 11 months ended July 31, 1889 (the date of the latest Returns), 1,596 cases have been disposed of from the County Cork, being at the rate of 145 per month. The total number of such applications from the rest of Ireland for the same period was 60,607. Of these, during the 11 months mentioned, 16,389 cases have been disposed of, being at the rate of 165 a month per county.