§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state the number of fair rent applications from the county of Cork lodged with or transferred to the Land Commission and still unheard, and how long ago the first of such applications was lodged; how many of such applications lodged in or prior to the year 1897 are still unheard; how many of such applications were lodged or transferred in the year 1898; how many were disposed of by the Sub-Commission in the year 1898; and how many lay Assistant Commissioners were assigned to the work of fixing fair rents in the county of Cork in the year 1898?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOUROf the fair rent applications lodged or transferred 495 to the Land Commission in the County Cork, 964 have not yet been listed for hearing; the earliest application now unlisted was received in the Department of the Land Commission on the 11th December, 1896. In only six of the unlisted cases were the originating notices lodged in December, 1896. Of the cases so lodged or transferred in the year 1897, there are 321 still unlisted, and 574 cases are still unlisted of those lodged or transferred in the year 1898; 459 cases were disposed of by Assistant Commissioners working in the County Cork during the year 1898, and three lay Assistant Commissioners, each dieting as a separate wing to a Sub-Commission, were employed in that county during the year mentioned, or portions of it.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALYIs it not the fact that the Cork staff is not equal to the work which has to be done?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURNo doubt the work is very heavy.