§ Mr. FLAVINasked whether Jeremiah Carroll, of Knockanure, held as a subtenant from Mrs. Bridget Goulding, Kealid, on the T. W. Sands estate; whether Mrs. Goulding had consented to sell to Carroll on the same terms that she had bought from the landlord; whether Carroll's holding as a sub-tenant had been inspected by the Estates Commissioners; and, if so, when would the vesting order be issued to Carroll?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI understand that Carroll holds a small plot of about an acre and a half as a sub-tenant on this estate. The estate has been inspected and reported on, and the Estates Commissioners have decided that this is not a case in which the sub-tenant should be deemed a direct tenant of the small plot in his occupation.
§ Mr. FLAVINOn what ground did the Estates Commissioners come to their decision?
§ Mr. BIRRELLSection 15 of the Act of 1903 gives the Estates Commissioners a discretion in the matter. In the exercise of that discretion they came to the conclusion that the sub-tenants in this case should not be deemed to be direct tenants.
§ Mr. FLAVINWhy should an exception be made in this case, where the tenant in possession is willing to sell to the subtenants on the same terms?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI do not know anything about it. The Estates Commissioners have, by Act of Parliament, a discretion as to whether sub-tenants should or should not be considered direct tenants, and in this case, in the exercise of that discretion, they decided against their being so considered.
§ Mr. FLAVINI will call further attention to the matter.