§ MR. MEEHAN (Queen's County, Leix)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland what is the total number of evicted tenants in Queen's County; how many have applied for reinstatement; how many cases have been considered and decided on; how many cases have been rejected; what is the total number reinstated; how many have been reinstated on their former holdings; what is the total cost of purchase of land, buildings, and free grants respectively; if any sales are being arranged with a view of restoring the remaining evicted tenants; how many farms from which tenants were evicted have been sold to the persons who got possession after the owners were evicted; and what is the acreage and amount of purchase money of these farms.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Estates Commissioners inform me that they have no knowledge as to the total number of evicted tenants in Queen's County. Two hundred and thirty-eight evicted tenants have applied to them for reinstatement in that county. The Commissioners have ruled on sixty-four applications; forty-two have been rejected, forty have been reinstated, and of these latter thirty-six have been placed in their former holdings. In twenty-one cases the holdings have been vested in 1239 the purchaser, the purchase money being £22,243. Advances amounting to £2,230 have been made for improvements for buildings, and the Commissioners have given free grants amounting to £5,576 for buildings and £1,623 for live stock. The Commissioners have made offers of advances in six cases which up to the present have not been replied to. They have no information as to the number of evicted holdings which may be in the hands of other purchasers.