§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he could say how many evicted tenants there are in the county of Limerick who have applied to the Estates Commissioners to be reinstated in their former holdings and who have not yet been provided for?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have received 693 applications from persons seeking reinstatement in holdings in county Limerick. One hundred and fifty-three applicants have been reinstated in their former holdings or provided with others, and twelve have been noted for consideration in the allotment of untenanted land acquired by the Commissioners. In 394 cases the Commissioners decided after inquiry and consideration to take no action, and the remaining applications were not received within the period limited by the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, and cannot therefore be dealt with under that Act.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, in view of the fact that there is a large number of evicted tenants in Limerick who are not yet provided for he does not think it time that the Estates Commissioners took active steps to reinstate these poor people, some of whom have been out of their homes twenty years?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have a very difficult task to perform in considering what claims are to be considered. The discretion rests with them under the Act.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYHaving regard to the fact that the Land Act of 1903 has now been in operation for eight years, and that the Evicted Tenants Act was passed a couple of years ago, does the right hon. Gentleman not think it really time that the Estates Commissioners should make a clean sweep of all these cases at once and put all the evicted tenants back on the land?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, we could not make a clean sweep of them at once and put them all back on the land.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYWill the right hon. Gentleman lay the matter before the Estates Commissioners?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIt has been before them for a long time.