§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, (1) whether he can state the amount of the advances applied for under the Land Act of 1903 up to 30th June; (2) the amount actually paid to vendors of land up to the same date; (3) the amount paid to the Bank of Ireland to the credit of estates in which the sale has not been completed; (4) the working capital at the disposal of the Estates Commissioners; (5) and if he proposes any plan by which the block can be relieved and the Act be allowed to work.
(Answered by Mr. Walter Long.) (1) The amount of advances applied for to the Estates Commissioners is estimated at £26,896,103, and, in addition, pending applications to the Land Commission, including sales originating in the Land Judge's Court, represent about £300,000, the total amount, therefore, being approximately £27,200,000. (2) The amount of purchase money distributed in cases in which the Estates Commissioners have made advances is £4,953,468. In other cases, including money paid to the Land Judge for distribution, £553,786 has been advanced, most of which has been distributed. (3) The total amount advanced 1320 under the Act of 1903, and paid into the Bank of Ireland by the Land Commission, including the Estates Commissioners r for all sales is £7,233,527. In practically all such cases the land or holdings sold have been vested subject to the purchase annuities. The amount of purchase money which has been advanced in all cases and has not yet been distributed is in round numbers, £1,700,000, but this is being dealt with day by day on the allocation of funds. (4) If by working capital at the disposal of the Estates Commissioners the reserve land under Section 43 of the Act of 1903 is referred to, it is understood that that fund amounts to £250,000 or thereabouts, of which £8,026 has been drawn for improvement of estates up to the present. (5) This question is receiving careful consideration.