§ MR. O'DOWDI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that eighty per cent. of the tenants on Mr. George Keogh's estate, situate in the parish of Geevagh, near Riverstown, in the county of Sligo, reside on uneconomic holdings of reclaimed mountain land; whether, owing to the fact of these rack-rented tenants being hopelessly in arrears, they were unable to take advantage of the rent-fixing clauses of the Act of 1881; whether this estate contains 500 acres of grazing land from which tenants were formerly evicted; whether he is aware that on the neighbouring estate, owned by Ughtred A. Knox, of Ballina, county Mayo, a similar set of conditions exists; and whether, under these circumstances, the Estates Commissioners will be instructed to open negotiations with the view of purchasing these estates from the owners.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that no proceedings for the sale of either of the estates mentioned in the Question have been 471 instituted before them, and they have no knowledge of the facts alleged in the Question. The Commissioners will doubtless consider any representations in the matter which may be made to them. So far, they have received none.