§ MR. THOMAS O'DONNELL (Kerry, W.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can take steps to find out the number of future tenants in Ireland; and whether seeing that they are excluded from all benefits under the rent-fixing clauses of the Land Acts, and are thus as much at the mercy of their landlords as the Irish tenant of the 'seventies, steps will be taken to amend the law so as to bring future tenants within its operation.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I beg to refer to the very full Answer given by my right hon. friend the Attorney-General for Ireland to a Question on this subject put by the hon. Member for North Westmeath on 7th March last.‡ The hon. Member will see from that answer that it is incorrect to suggest that future tenants are at the mercy of their landlords, seeing that, if such tenants are evicted without cause, they are entitled to compensation for both disturbance and improvements. I have already stated on several occasions that I cannot, in reply to a Question, discuss the possibility of legislation in regard to future tenants.