§ Mr. FLAVINasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state the amount of money lost to the ratepayers in each 247 county in Ireland under the Land Purchase Act, 1903, for each of the years 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907 1908 and 1910, under the different heads of deductions, etc.; and whether he will also give corresponding losses under the Land Purchase Act of 1909 for the years 1909 and 1910?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe total loss to Kerry County Council under the Land Act of 1903 is £5,579, of which £4,007 is in respect of appears of annuities and £1,572, in respect of deficiency of income. The above sum includes £6 in respect of arrears of annuities set up under the Land Purchase Act, 1909. As pointed out in my answer to the hon. Member's oral question yesterday, the above sum is not permanently lost to the ratepayers.
§ Mr. FLAVINWill the losses be refunded by the Treasury to the county councils if the tenant purchasers pay up, or will they be debited to the county councils?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI think I have answered that.
§ Mr. SHEEHANMay I ask whether the gains under the Land Act of 1903 were not that over half the land of Ireland has been purchased; and whether the losses under the Act of 1909 is that the land has remained unpurchased?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI do not think that I can admit that there are any gains under the Act of 1903.
§ Mr. SHEEHANIs it not the case that hundreds of thousands of tenants have purchased in Ireland under the Act of 1903?
§ Mr. FLAVINIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that one of the largest estates in the county of Kerry was bought under the Act of 1909?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEI am afraid I am not familiar with all the details of Irish administration.