§ MR. REDDY (King's County, Birr)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutentant of Ireland whether he can state the number of evictions which have taken place on the estate of Lord Ashbrook, in King's County, since 1903, and the number of evictions pending on this estate, decrees having been obtained; 953 whether he will obtain from the police authorities in King's County and the Crown officials the exact number of those evicted who were first turned into caretakers under Section 7 of the Land Act of 1887, and the number turned into caretakers not yet evicted, with the cost of the entire proceedings; whether he is aware that these tenants are weighed down with arrears of a rack rent; and whether, in view of the general circumstances of the estate, the Estates Commissioners propose to take any action.
MR. BRYCEI am informed by the Inspector-General that, so far as the police are aware, three tenants only have been evicted from this estate since 1903, and in one of these cases the evicted tenant became a caretaker under Section 7 of the Act of 1887. The cost to the public of affording protection to the sheriff was £1 10s. 3d. I have no information as to any other costs in the matter, nor as to whether the tenants were rack rented. I presume they could have had fair rents fixed if they had so desired. As to the action of the Estates Commissioners, I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member's Question of Wednesday last. †