HC Deb 16 May 1904 vol 134 cc1393-4
MR. FLAVIN

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that a meeting was held at Ballylongford, North Kerry, on the 24th April, 1904, presided over by the Rev. P. Pierce; that at that meeting the question of the offer of Trinity College, Dublin, to sell their property at twenty-seven' years purchase was considered and rejected, owing to the price demanded by Trinity College; and, if so, what action he intends to take in the matter; and whether, seeing that the greater portion of this property is cutaway bog and mountain land, he can state the average price paid in the year's purchase by tenants in Kerry since 1886, and also what is the highest average price paid any one year from 1886 to 1892.

MR. WYNDHAM

I have no information on the first portion of the Question. If I may assume that it refers to the redemption of head-rents, no analogy can be drawn between such a redemption and the purchase of their holdings by occupying tenants. A different procedure applies to a transaction of a wholly different character. I stated on Thursday last that if the middleman does not agree to the price demanded for the redemption of the head-rent the provisions of the 64th Section of the Act of 1903 can be availed of to have the price determined by either the Land Judge or Judicial Commissioner, as the case may be. Such a case was recently referred to Mr. Justice Meredith, and after hearing fully the evidence, he fixed the redemption price for the College at twenty-six and one-tenth years purchase.

MR. FLAVIN

But the right hon. Gentleman has missed the point. Trinity College is the direct landlord not the head landlord. Will the right hon. Gentleman inquire whether the College is not asking twenty-nine years purchase while for the past sixteen years the average price has been sixteen years purchase?

MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)

Does the right hon. Gentleman propose to do anything with regard to the practice now obtaining in various parts of Ireland of demanding extravagant prices?

MR. WYNDHAM

I really cannot enter on a debate as to whether the prices are extravagant. The Act of last year makes provision for dealing with matters of that kind. I can add nothing to my answer.

MR. FLAVIN

Will the right Gentleman answer my Question?

MR. SPEAKER

The right hon. Gentleman says he has given the only answer he can.

MR. FLAVIN

But his answer was as to head landlords—not direct landlords. I will draw attention to this on the first opportunity.