§ Mr. PATRICK O'BRIEN (for Mr. Flynn)asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners have been recently in negotiation with Mr. Leader, D.L., Dromagh, county Cork, in respect to the purchase of untenanted lands for public purposes; if so, with what result; and will he state whether Mr. Leader was informed by the Commissioners that during the negotiations for sale he must oppose all applications by labourers for cottage plots and allotments; and, if so, upon what grounds?
§ Mr. CHERRYThe Estates Commissioners are in negotiation with Mr. Leader with a view to the purchase of these lands, but up to the present they have not come to an agreement with him. The Commissioners did not inform Mr. Leader to the effect stated in the question, but their inspector told him that if the Commissioners agreed to purchase the lands in question he might be required to oppose the acquisition of any further plots on such land pending the consideration by the Commissioners of a scheme for its allotment.