§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will call the attention 1151 of the Estates Commissioners to the manner in which the Land Purchase Act of 1903 is tried to be administered in the sale of Mrs. Grace C. P. Mahon's estate, Strokestown, in getting her direct tenants to sign purchase agreements for houses and plots of land in the occupation of sub-tenants, thereby depriving the tenants in occupation of reductions given to direct tenants since May 1st, 1905, in not providing sub-tenants with turbary and plots of land in or convenient to the town, and in allowing landlords, large graziers, and eleven months men to sign purchase agreements for the land convenient to the town, which should have been divided and given to the householders of the town; and whether he will request the Estates Commissioners to put in operation Section 15 of the Land Act, 1903, and not to accept the middle owners' payments as interest or otherwise in respect of such purchase agreements.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I am informed by the Estates Commissioners that 172 agreements to purchase holdings on this estate were lodged with them on April 25th. The question of the rights of sub-tenants will be dealt with by the Commissioners after the report of the inspector has been received, and with due regard to Section 15. The method in which the landlord has dealt with untenanted land, and the question of making advances applied for by newly created tenants, will also be duly considered. Until these cases have been ruled on, the Commissioners consider that the interest payable under the agreements lodged must be collected.