§ MR. THOMAS O'DONNELLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Congested Districts Board agreed to open negotiations for the purchase of the Ventry estate; whether, as a result of this, landlord and tenants came to arrangements as to price, arrears, etc., which they thought would end the connection between them.; whether, after months of waiting, the Board 1324 returned maps, papers, etc., to the landlord, saying they could not buy because they had no money; and whether, seeing the injustice done both to landlord and tenant, and the certainty of trouble and confusion in the district through the action of a Government Department, immediate action will be taken to provide money for the Congested Districts Board to carry out the sales which they undertook and led the public to believe they could carry through.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board decided at their meeting in November last to open negotiations for the purchase of the Ventry estate, and they conveyed this information to the agent and asked him for particulars of the property. Subsequently, owing to the want of funds for the improvement of estates, the Board had to postpone negotiations in this and other cases, and consequently the particulars of the estate were not furnished to them. The Board were not cognisant of any arrangements between the landlord and the tenants. They informed the hon. Member a month ago that they had postponed negotiations solely on account of the want of funds for effecting improvements. As regards the concluding part of the Question, I can only refer the hon. Member to the very full statement which I made on the subject last Wednesday.