§ Mr. JEREMIAH MacVEAGHasked the Chief Secretary whether he can say what payments have been made to the trustees of the Kilmorey estate, county Down; whether the total purchase price has been paid; if so, whether he can explain why a demand has been made upon the tenant proprietors for the payment of interest this month at the rate of 3½ per cent., whereas the interest authorised by the Land Act is only 3¼ per cent, on land vested in the Land Commission; whether the sums demanded have in some cases exceeded even 3½ per cent.; and whether the demand forms will be recalled?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate has been sold to the Estates Commissioners under 495 Section 6 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the purchase money, amounting to £194,155, has been advanced. Section 18 of the Act provides that the interest in lieu of rent payable by the tenants to the Land Commission in cases of this kind shall be at a rate not less than 3½ per cent, per annum, and in their undertakings to purchase their holdings from the Commissioners the tenants have contracted to pay interest at 3½ per cent, until the lands are vested in them on resale, which will be completed as soon as practicable. The interest which is being collected from the tenants does not exceed 3½ per cent., as stated in the question, but the sum payable for the half-year ending 1st November is slightly an excess of the amount payable for the previous half-year owing to there being more days in the half-year.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman what is the cause of the delay in the purchase of this estate in view of the fact that the purchase money has been paid to the landlord.
§ Mr. BIRRELLDelay in these matters frequently occurs for reasons over which nobody has any control. I am not able to answer the hon. Member's question now, but I will make inquiries.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHHas the right hon. Gentleman received any assurance that this matter is being pushed forward?
§ Mr. BIRRELLOh! Yes it is.
§ Mr. PATRICK O'BRIEN (for Mr. Flynn)asked the Chief Secretary whether the Estates Commissioners have taken any further steps towards the acquisition of the untenanted grazing ranches on the Fuge estate, Garryduff, and Templemary, county Cork; and whether, in view of the number of deserving evicted tenants looking for suitable holdings under the provisions of the Land Acts, 1903–7, the Commissioners will take immediate action with a view to acquiring this available untenanted land?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have had a preliminary inspection made of the lands of Templemary, and have intimated to the owner the price they would be prepared to advance if formal proceedings for sale were instituted tinder the Irish Land Act, 1903. The owner is not willing to sell at the price. The Commissioners have published a notice in the "Dublin Gazette" of their intention to 496 acquire the lands of Garryduff under the Evicted Tenants Act, and have made an offer, against which the owner has filed a petition, which has not yet been determined.
§ Mr. PATRICK O'BRIEN (for Mr. Flynn)asked the Chief Secretary whether the Estates Commissioners have taken any recent action in regard to purchase of the untenanted lands on the Leader estate, Dromagh, county Cork; and whether, in view of the demand for the settlement of non-provided evicted tenants, enlargement of uneconomic holdings, and allotments of land for labourers of the district, and of the fact that the sale of the tenanted portion of the estate has now been concluded, the Commissioners will make a further effort to secure this untenanted land under the provisions of the Land Acts, 1903 to 1907?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on my behalf to the question asked by him on the 13th September last, to which I have nothing at present to add.
§ Mr. PATRICK O'BRIEN (on behalf of Mr. Vincent Kennedy)asked the Chief Secretary if he can state whether the Estates Commissioners have taken any steps to acquire the lands of Ture, Slieve-brickan, Macken, Drumlane farm, and Stranadara, all being untenanted lands or ranches coming under the Evicted Tenants (Ireland) Act, 1907?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners are unable from the particulars given in the question to identify these lands as pending for sale before them. If the hon. Member will furnish the Commissioners with the names and addresses of the owners of the lands they will make further inquiries.