§ MR. WILLIAM O'BRIENI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in order to supply the House with information as to the present state of land purchase in Ireland, with a view to the approaching debate on the Treasury proposals, he will direct the Estates Commissioners to prepare a county map of Ireland, shaded to show, approximately, the areas in which land purchase has been completed, those where agreements have been signed but not completed, and those where no agreements have yet been come to.
§ *MR. BIRRELLI have been in communication with the Estates Commissioners as to the possibility of meeting the hon. Gentleman's wishes in this matter, and am informed that the preparation of county maps showing, 252 even approximately, the present state of land purchase, would be quite impracticable without much expenditure of time and money. To furnish such maps, it would be necessary to show upon them the estates for which agreements have been lodged but the sale of which has not yet been completed. There are 4,369 of such estates, comprising 125,000 purchasers, with a total purchase money of, approximately, £40,000,000. It would be necessary to take the estate maps of these 4,369 estates, which maps are on the six inch scale, and transfer them to the county index maps which are on various smaller scales; and this work would necessarily occupy some months and would cause a dislocation of the Commissioners' ordinary business. The Commissioners, however, could prepare a Return, approximately accurate, showing by counties the extent of land actually vested in tenant-purchasers, and the extent of land for which advances have been applied for but not yet made. The residue of the total area of each county would consist of land unsold, part of which would, of course, be composed of mountain, bog, and other unsaleable land. If such a Return would suit the hon. Member's purpose, I will ask the Commissioner's to prepare it with as little delay as possible.
§ MR. WILLIAM O'BRIENMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether there will be any difficulty in a newspaper producing within a week or so a rough and ready map such as I suggest out of the materials in the hands of the Estates Commissioners, and whether such a map which I suggest has been actually prepared by a private individual would not give this House a more valuable idea than anything else of the most serious position as to land purchase in Ireland as to the area, as to one-third of the country sold, another one-third half sold, and another portion unsold, and will he say what is the difficulty.
§ *MR. BIRRELLI quite agree that a map of that kind would be a very useful one, and should be glad if such a map could be prepared, but the Government cannot make a rough and ready map of that kind. They would be bound to show every one of the estates, scattered all over the country, which have been sold or agreed to be sold, and the work of 253 transferring these estates from a large accurate map which we have got into a map on a smaller scale would occupy months of a department already overworked. If a newspaper or a private individual can publish such a map a good service would be done, but I am afraid the Government cannot undertake that.
§ MR. WILLIAM O'BRIENAllow me to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, if a private newspaper undertakes to give this information, he will have the result published for the information of the House of Commons.
§ MR. BIRRELLIf such a map be found published presumably accurate I see no objection to it.
§ MR. WILLIAM O'BRIENI beg to say that I will call attention to the action of these officials in keeping this House in the dark as to the most critical position of land purchase in Ireland.