§ MR. GINNELL (Westmeath, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that Colonel Malone's Baronstown estate, Westmeath, was inspected for sale in July, 1905; that subsequently one memorial was lodged with the Estates Commissioners with reference to trustees, and another asking certain untenanted farms to be divided among people in need of land; what causes the delay in attending to these matters; and, if collusive tenancies have been created, what are the dates of the agreements creating them.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. BRYCE, Aberdeen, S.)The Estates Commissioners inform me that the estate in question was inspected in May and June, 1905. The memorials referred to were received in February last and have been made the subject of a special report by the inspector, which report is at present under consideration. There has been no avoidable delay in dealing with this matter. The Commissioners are not aware of any cases of collusive tenancies on this estate, and it would appear from the documents lodged that in none of the cases of the non-judicial tenants were any of the tenancies created since 1901.