§ MR. LONSDALEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners or the police are in possession of information showing that, in a considerable number of cases in which application has been made by ex-tenants or their representatives for reinstatement, the holdings of such applicants are at present occupied by new tenants or purchasers by arrangement come to between the latter and the former tenants; that in many of these cases the arrangement thus mutually arrived at partook of the nature of a money payment from the new to the former tenant; and how it is proposed to deal with such cases under the 344 provisions of the Bill now before the House.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that some cases of the nature referred to in the Question have come under their notice. The fact that an evicted tenant or his representative has received compensation from the present occupier of the holding is taken into consideration by the Commissioners when dealing with an application for reinstatement. I would refer the hon. Member to the 20th paragraph of the Estates Commissioners' Special Report on evicted tenants, from which it will be seen that the Commissioners have rejected applications on the ground, amongst others, that the applicants have voluntarily surrendered their holdings or sold their interest in them.