§ MR. P. MEEHAN (Queen's County, Leix)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, whether negotiations for sale of the Edge estate, Moyadd, Queen's County, are being carried on, or whether terms of purchase have been agreed on; whether he is aware that John McCormack was evicted from a farm of 100 acres at present occupied by a planter named Goucher; whether the son of the evicted tenant has applied to the Estates Commissioners for restoration; whether he is aware that a man named Andrew Pennycook, non-resident, is in occupation of a grazing ranch of 150 acres, from which tenants were evicted, and that Mr. Penny cook is owner and occupies a farm of 138 acres on the former Duke of Leinster's estate, purchased under the Act of 1903, advance made £3,542; whether he is aware that there are on the Moyadd estate five families, numbering 17 persons, who occupy a total of 5 acres, and that there are numerous uneconomic holdings in the district; and will he say whether the two grazing farms containing 253 acres occupied by only one family will be acquired by the Estates Commissioners for distribution amongst the evicted tenants and uneconomic holdings.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. BIRRELL,) Bristol, N.The Estates Commissioners inform me that certain purchase agreements have been lodged in respect of this estate, but they do not include agreements in respect of the 134 acres held by John Goucher as a yearly tenant, or in respect of the 162 acres held by A. K. Pennycook as a judicial tenant. The Commissioners have received an application for reinstatement from John McCormack. They have not yet inquired into the estate, as it has not yet been reached in its order of priority. They are therefore unable to express any opinion as to the matters referred to in the concluding portion of the Question. An advance of £3,542 was made to Andrew Pennycook in connection with the sale of the Duke of Leinster's estate.
§ MR. P. MEEHANIs it not the case that Mr. Pennycook is satisfied to sell the estates to the Commissioners for distribution 758 among 17 persons who now hold less than 5 acres between them?
§ MR. BIRRELLI have given the hon. Gentleman all the information in my possession.