§ MR. SHEEHAN (Cork County, Mid)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the action of various landowners in Ireland who have been cutting up their demesnes and other untenanted land, dividing them into strips of 20, 30, or 40 acres, placing a rent on these and then offering them for public auction stating, as an additional inducement for high investment, that incoming tenants can purchase under the Land Act of 1903; whether this policy of the creation of new tenancies on untenanted land by the payment of extravagant competitive fines is one favoured by the Government or the Estates Commissioners; will steps be 1373 taken in the promised land legislation to deal with this evil in the Irish land system; and will he say whether sales, under the Purchase Act, to tenants created by this extraordinary method of public auction will be facilitated by the Estates Commissioners, as is at present assumed in every instance and so set forth in their auction advertisements by the selling owners.
§ MR. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that some such cases as are referred to in the Question have come under their notice. The Commissioners do not favour the practice because, if it were largely resorted to, untenanted lands might be disposed of by owners to large farmers, and the area available for sale to the Estates Commissioners for the enlargement and improvement of uneconomic holdings and relief of congestion generally would consequently be reduced. The question whether it would be desirable to deal with this matter by legislation will receive the careful consideration of the Government in connection with the forthcoming measure for the Amendment of the Irish Land Laws.
§ MR. MOOREIs it worse for a farmer to buy land from a neighbouring farmer than for a neighbouring landlord to sell to a neighbouring farmer?
§ MR. BIRRELLBut this was not contemplated under the provisions made for advances of public money.