§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for what purpose the Irish Constabulary some months ago inquired and took notes of untenanted land let on the eleven months' system; whether a Return of that land will be presented to Parliament; and, seeing that such use of land in the neighbourhood of congested and landless people is a natural cause of turmoil, whether he will, in the interest of law and order, have it compulsorily acquired and distributed before the end of the present year?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Birrell)I have no knowledge of the inquiries referred to, which may have been made by the police with a view to prevent cattle-driving or for similar police purposes.
§ Mr. GINNELLfurther asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many occupants of uneconomic holdings and how many landless men applied for portions of the untenanted land on the Pakenham estate, Westmeath; what defence is there of the conduct of Mr. Campbell in getting graziers to select applicants and bring them to meet him at a newspaper office in Mullingar, where he prepared his scheme giving Anne Shaw, an occupant of forty-eight acres, Poor Law valuation £38 5s., a new holding of twenty-one and a half acres, and her only son Matthew Shaw, residing with her, a new holding of nineteen and a half acres, while giving none to eligible applicants on the boundary in need and entitled by Statute, but not recommended by graziers; whether it will be annulled and the holdings given to applicants selected in accordance with the intentions of Parliament; and, seeing the importance of an impartial distribution of land in a country devoid of manufacturing industries, whether he will take steps to have it carried out in future free from the influence of ranchers?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners received a very large number of applications for parcels of land on this estate, including many from persons ineligible under the Act of 1903. All applications received from persons resident within two and a half miles of the estate were inquired into, and the Commissioners allocated the lands in the exercise of their discretion. Parcels were allotted under Section 2, Sub-sections (1) and (2), of the Irish Land Act, 1903, to Mrs. Shaw and her son, the former being a tenant on the estate. The Commissioners are not aware of any justification for the allegations made against the inspector by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. GINNELLHow does the right hon. Gentleman account for land supposed by Act of Parliament to go to be distributed among people in need of it going to persons who, on the face of it, are not in need of it?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIt is very difficult to say exactly who is in need of land. Matters of this sort have of necessity to be left to the discretion of the Commissioners acting upon the advice of their inspectors. I have made inquiries, and I find that this particular inspector has generally given great satisfaction.
§ Mr. GINNELLDoes not the Act of Parliament say that the people who are in 1940 need of land are those who have none? Does the right hon. Gentleman consider a rancher's newspaper office is the proper place to prepare a scheme for the distribution of land?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIt depends on what the scheme is.