§ MR. MEAGHERI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, seeing that the agents for the vendors of estates sold direct to the Estates Commissioners are entitled to a scale fee or percentage, to be fixed by the Estates Commissioners, with the consent of the Treasury, under Section 23, Sub-section (11), of the Irish Land Act, 1903, he will state whether this scale fee or percentage has been fixed.
I beg also to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the estates sold direct to the Estates Commissioners consist mostly of untenanted land; and has he any official information showing that the non-fixing and non-paying of the scale fee or percentage accounts in a great measure for the small amount of untenanted land which has been bought by the Estates Commissioners.
MR. BRYCEThe answer to these two Questions is contained in my reply to a Question put by the hon. and learned Member for North Westmeath on Tuesday last,† to which I beg to refer the hon. Member. The substance of it was that a scale of fees has not yet been fixed, because it is thought experience has not been sufficient, but that payments for the work done are being made, and that it is not believed that purchase has been retarded by the cause suggested.
§ † See col. 1166–7.