§ DR. AMBROSE (Mayo, W.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Congested Districts Board purchased, about four years ago, from the Earl of Lucan a grazing farm at Gloshpatrick, near Westport, county Mayo, and that the tenants have been paying rent to the Board for the past two years; could he give any reason why the Board has not up to the present striped this land amongst the tenants who live on small holdings, and for whose benefit it was purchased; whether any arrangement has been come to by any officials of the Board with a grazier, named Patrick McGreal whereby McGreal is to get the best portion of the arable land and a part of the mountain; if so, who are the officials who made this deal, and whether the Board was made aware of its terms before it was concluded; and, if no deal has been made with McGreal, who has plenty of land already, will he use his influence with the Board to prevent the tenants being deprived of the chance of enlargement of their holdings by having this land divided amongst them.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The Bingham estate, of which the farm in question forms part, became vested in the Congested Districts Board on 12th May, 1905, and prior to that date the Board had no power to deal with it. Mr. McGreal has been, since 1881, yearly tenant of the farm referred to, which consists largely of mountain land. In consideration of his surrendering a portion of this farm to the Board for the enlargement of adjacent small holdings and for 281 the purposes of migration, the Board have arranged to sell him the remainder, including the house. It is not the fact that Mr. McGreal is to have the best portion of the arable land. Of the 140 acres of such land contained in the farm 120 acres are coming into possession of the Board for the purposes mentioned. Arrangements for the division of the lands, with a view to the enlargement of small holdings and facilitating migration, are in progress.