§ MR. WALTER LONGI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland what additional appointments were made to the staff of the Estates Commission consequent on the passing of the Evicted Tenants Act of 1907, and what is the cost of such additional establishment.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLNo additional appointments to the staff of the Estates Commissioners have been made consequent upon the passing of the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, but the services have been retained of the fourteen temporary inspectors who were appointed in April, 1907, as part of the general staff engaged on the purchase and re-sale of land, and in connection with the restoration of evicted tenants. These temporary inspectors are paid £800 per annum each, inclusive of subsistence allowance. A temporary clerical staff of ten persons engaged upon evicted tenants inquiry work has also been retained as part of the general indoor staff, at a total approximate cost of £600 per annum. The Estates Commissioners inform me that it is impossible to say what portion of the staff is engaged exclusively on the restoration of evicted tenants. They think it probable that if the Evicted Tenants Act had not been passed the whole of the present staff would have been required in connection with their purchase proceedings and with the restoration of evicted tenants under the voluntary provisions of the Act of 1903. It is, in fact, under these voluntary provisions that the reinstatement of evicted tenants is for the most part being effected.