§ MR. VINCENT KENNEDY (Cavan, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state the number of originating notices to fix fair rents received by the Irish Land Commission for the years 1890 to 1896, inclusive, and also the numbers of said notices similarly received for the years 1897 to 1903, with the approximate cost of the Commissioners and staff employed during the above two respective periods; and will he state the present costs of the Commissioners and staff annually employed in the rent-fixing department.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe number of originating notices to fix fair rents lodged with the Land Commission between 22nd August, 1890, and 1st March, 1896, was 15,061, and the number lodged 1773 between the latter date and 31st March, 1903, was 93,924. The Land Commission inform me that it would not be possible, without considerable labour, to state even approximately the expenditure on the fair rent side of their business for the thirteen years in question. Moreover, a comparison as regards cost between the two periods referred to could not fairly be made, seeing that the system of fixing fair rents underwent considerable change by the Act of 1896. The Commissioners cannot make a close estimate of the present cost of the fair rent staff, but they think it may be stated at approximately £45,000 per annum, exclusive of the salaries of Judicial Commissioners, which are charged on the Consolidated Fund.