§ Mr. LARDNERasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland when the tenants on the estate of the late Miss Gertrude Rose, situate in the county of Monaghan, Record No. 6,362, signed agreements to purchase their holdings under the Land Purchase Acts; when the same were lodged with the Estates Commissioners; whether the estate has as yet been inspected; and, if not, what is the cause of the delay, and when is the inspection likely to be carried out and the sale to the tenants likely to be completed?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND (Mr. Redmond Barry)This estate is being sold direct by the vendor to the tenants. The purchase agreements are dated 1st February, 1908, and were lodged with the Estates Commissioners on 30th April, 1908. The estate will be dealt with in order of priority, but, having regard to the prior claims of other estates, the Commissioners are not at present in a position to say when it will be reached.
§ Mr. CRUMLEYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state the circumstances under which the estate of Mrs. Adams, Artonagh, county Fermanagh, was sold; and why the tenancy of John Maguire, of Artonagh, was not included in the sale?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThis estate was sold by the landlord direct to the tenants, who signed purchase agreements under the Act of 1903. Maguire was offered the same terms as the other tenants by the landlord, but the tenant did not sign a purchase agreement, and the holding could not therefore be included in the sale.
§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Chief Secretary whether, having regard to the congested nature of the district, the uneconomic size of the holdings on the Nicholson estate, Balrath, county Meath, for which purchase agreements have been lodged, the Estates Commissioners will regard the matter as one of urgency, and send an inspector to make a report; and whether he is aware that, owing to lack of employment, a number of people will he compelled to emigrate unless immediate relief is afforded by enlargement of holdings by the acquisition of land available on the estate?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThis estate is being sold direct by the vendors to the tenants under Section 1 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the Estates Commissioners have no power to proceed with it out of its order of priority. I have no information as to the concluding paragraph of the question.
Mr. KELLYasked whether the inspector of the Congested Districts Board inspected some county Donegal estates about two months ago; whether the Board have fixed upon any sums to he offered to the owners of such estates; and, if so, have such offers been communicated to the owners yet?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThe Congested Districts Board are unable to identify the estates referred to. If the hon. Member will supply the names of the estates the Board will make inquiries.
Mr. KELLYCan the Congested Districts Board not state whether they have inspected any estates in the county or not?
§ Mr. JOHN ROCHEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, at an interview before the Estates Commissioners, on 6th November, 1907, an agreement was come to between Mr. John J. Cheevers, of county Galway, and his tenants, the principal condition being the sale of 126 acres of grass land; whether he is aware that there were 128 tenants upon this estate, 577 ninety of whose holdings do not exceed £7 valuation, and that the Estates Commissioners offered a price for the said grass land and was accepted by the vendor; whether the estate has been handed over to the Congested Districts Board; and, if so, is the latter body now disposed to hand back to Mr. Cheevers eighty-nine of the 126 acres which he sold to the Estates Commissioners, and thereby leaving only 37 to be distributed between ninety uneconomic holdings?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYAt the interview referred to an agreement was come to between Mr. Cheevers and his tenants as stated. This estate is being dealt with by the Congested Districts Board, and it has been arranged that 89 acres which formed a planted portion of the demesne be restored to Mr. Cheevers. The tenants have been more than amply compensated, as 500 acres of suitable land have been offered to them elsewhere. Fifteen of the tenants have already accepted new farms, leaving their old farms for division amongst the tenants who remain.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEMay I ask whether it is not the fact, as stated in the question, that at an interview at the office of the Estates Commissioners it was agreed by Mr. Cheevers that the 126 acres of grass land should be sold to the Estates Commissioners, and when the Estates Commissioners handed the estate over to the Congested Districts Board, by what right and what authority had the Congested Districts Board to hand 89 acres back to Mr. Cheevers?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYThe only information I have of the interview is that contained in the reply to the question.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEMay I ask whether the Congested Districts Board think 500 acres sufficient for 126 tenants to create economic holdings for them?