§ MR. WILLIAM O'BRIEN (Cork)I beg to ask the-Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, in reference to the Report of the Estates Commissioners that of 513 applications from evicted tenants in the county of Mayo only eleven applicants have been reinstated or provided with holdings, and 337 were refused after inquiry, what was the nature of the inquiry referred to; were the applicants given an opportunity of being heard by the Commissioners or were they apprised of the reasons for which their applications were rejected; and whether, in view of this almost complete breakdown of the Evicted Tenants Acts in the county where harsh evictions have been most frequent, some steps will be taken to re open these cases, either by altering the regulations issued to the Estates Commissioners or by giving the applicants an appeal to the County Court Judge.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. BIRRELL,) Bristol, N.I 883 would refer the hon. Member to the Special Report on Evicted Tenants prepared by the Estates Commissioners, and presented to Parliament in 1907 [Cd. Paper 3570], for a full statement of the practice adopted by the Commissioners and the principles on which they act in dealing with applications received from persons seeking reinstatement as evicted tenants. Before rejecting a case the Commissioners make local inquiries through their inspector, who interviews the applicant if it is practicable to do so. It is not the practice of the Commissioners to state the reasons which actuate them in the exercise of their discretion. They are acquiring untenanted land to provide holdings for evicted tenants who have been considered suitable. No further regulations on the subject appear to be necessary.
§ MR. WILLIAM O'BRIENasked how many cases in which inspectors made strong recommendations were rejected without appeal. Would the right hon. Gentleman consider the desirability of giving them a re-hearing?
§ MR. BIRRELLpromised to inquire as to the number.