§ ME. DONAL SULLIVAN (Westmeath, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will state the number of applications for purchase and sale to the Land Purchase Commissioners in Ireland, and refused by them, up to the 31st of January, 1890; the names of the estates concerned; and the amount of money involved; and, whether he will also state the number of such applications which, having been first refused, were subsequently sanctioned; the names of the estates; and the amount of money involved in these cases?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Land Commissioners report that from the passing of the Land Purchase Act of 1885 down to January 31, 1890, 2,352 applications for advances, amounting to £1,110,097 were refused. These cases were not limited to applications for advances upon holdings which did not appear to be sufficient security for sums 735 agreed to be paid for their purchase, but included applications which fell through by reason of delay on the part of the applicants, defective titles, existence of charges, or other difficulties. Of the applications so refused 772 were subsequently sanctioned for sums amounting to £319,177; the original sums applied for in such cases being £383,071. The Commissioners add that the classification of these cases in the manner indicated in the question would involve considerable labour and serious loss of time.