§ MR. HAZLETONTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state whether the Congested Districts Board before handing over holdings on the Ross Lodge estate, county Galway, to outsiders took into consideration the condition of the people in the townlands of Bealanagurrane, Curilane, Derrymore, and Ballinapark; and what action the Board took with reference to the representations made to them on behalf of tenants in these town-lands by the Reverend M. Heaney, P.P., Caherlistrane.
§ MR. HAZLETONTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Congested Districts Board have given possession of five new holdings in the parish of Cahirlistrane, county Galway, on the Hon. R. A. Nugent's estate, lately purchased by the Board, to five tenants from another parish; and if he can state on what grounds were the applications of Thomas Kyne, Patrick Neil, Richard Lawless, and Patrick Jennings, of Bealanagurrane, and Michael Levelle, Curilane, for five holdings on the Ross Lodge estate refused, although these five tenants offered to give up their present holdings.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The function of the Congested Districts Board is to assist the people of the scheduled congested districts, and the Board purchased the Nugent or Ross Lodge estate with the object of providing holdings for persons to be migrated from congested districts. The five persons who obtained holdings were occupiers of uneconomic holdings who were brought from such districts. The townlands mentioned in the Questions are not scheduled as congested, and the Board were, therefore, unable to provide for the wants of the people resident in them.