§ MR. O'SHEE (Waterford, W.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the regulations issued for the guidance of the Estates Commissioners in February, 1906, under The Irish Land Act, 1903, have in effect absolutely prevented the complete sale of estates which the owners were willing to sell, so far as regards holdings in villages and towns on such estates, so that many agreements for the sale of such holdings have been dismissed by reason of the Estates Commissioners not being allowed to take into consideration the value of buildings, but only of the sites or of plots of land held therewith; whether he is aware that the intention of the Act of 1903, to enable the owner of an estate which was mainly agricultural or pastoral to sell the whole of such estate, was given effect to in the case of the King-Harman estate, in and near the town of Boyle, county Roscommon, but was frustrated in the case of the estate of the Earl of Huntingdon, in and near the village of Clashmore, county Waterford; and whether he will advise that a new regulation more consonant with the intention of the Act should be framed by the Lord-Lieutenant.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) It is not proposed to frame a new regulation on
*Good service from date of entry (not from attaining age of 16).
§ this Subject. In the opinion of the Irish Government the existing regulation is entirely consonant with both the letter and the spirit of the Act of 1903. It is not the case that the regulation has prevented the complete sale of estates mainly agricultural or pastoral, so far as regards town and village holdings. The Estates Commissioners make advances for the purchase of such holdings comprised in estates mainly agricultural or pastoral when the y consider the security to be sufficient. In the case of the Earl of Huntingdon's estate, the Commissioners refused to make advances for the purchase of eleven village holdings at Clashmore, because they considered the security to be insufficient.