§ * MR. GINNELL (Westmeath, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been directed to the smallness of the amount of untenanted land so far acquired by the Estates Commissioners, and the consequent want of progress in the restoration of evicted tenants, while untenanted land suitable for them is being divided and sold direct to graziers, in fraud of the law; and whether, seeing that this is due in part to the absence of a scale for remunerating persons negotiating sales of such land to the Estates Commissioners in accordance with sub-sections (9), (10), and (11), of Section 23 of the Land Act of 1903, he will have this obstacle removed by the preparation and publication of a graduated 1167 scale, especially in relation to untenanted land.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (MR. BRYCE,) Aberdeen, S.I am informed by the Estates Commissioners that the extent of untenanted land actually purchased by them is 20,910 acres, and that they are engaged in purchasing, or are negotiating for the purchase of, 63,340 acres in addition. I have already informed the hon. Member that the Commissioners are not aware of the occurrence of any such case of fraud as is alluded to. The scale of fees for negotiators mentioned in Section 23, subsection (11), of the Act of 1903, has not yet been settled, upon the ground that a sufficient number of cases has not yet arisen to form the basis of such scale, claims made by negotiators under this sub-section are dealt with by the Commissioners and the Treasury on the merits of each particular case. The Commissioners have no knowledge that the absence of a scale of fees for negotiators has prevented purchase.
§ MR. REDDY (King's County, Birr)How can they say they have no knowledge when one of their own members holds 100 acres of grazing land in county Galway?