§ MR. WALTER LONG (Dublin, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland what was the number of tenants converted into care takers by service of ejectment notices under Section 7 of the Land Law Act of 1887 in each of the years 1901 to 1906, inclusive; what was the number of actual evictions for non-payment of rent throughout Ireland in each such year, and the number of farms retaken by former tenants and the number of farms retaken by new tenants in each such year, distinguishing in the case of the latter the number who came to an arrangement with the evicted tenants before they entered in possession.
§ (Answered by Mr. Birrell.) 905 This information has been extracted from Returns presented to Parliament. As regards (2) it is not possible to distinguish cases in which evictions were for non-payment of rent, but it may be assumed that the great majority were of that nature. Returns have been given from time to time containing the information asked for in the remainder of the Question, so far as regards evicted farms on the estates commonly known as Plan of Campaign estates, and I informed the hon. Member for Mid. Armagh on the 16th instant that I would offer no objection to the granting of a Return in continuation of the last such Return (Parliamentary Paper No. 173, of Session 1903). I find that similar Returns as regards evicted farms generally have not heretofore been presented to Parliament, and I do not propose to make any new departure in this respect.