§ Mr. O'MALLEYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, if the Congested Districts 1523 Board has yet made any offer of purchase for the Berridge estate, Connemara; and, if so, whether the offer has been accepted; whether he will state the names of any other estates in Connemara for which offers of purchase have been made; whether any estates in that district have been actually purchased within the last twelve months; and, if so, will he state the names of such estates?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have made an offer for the Berridge estate which is at present being considered by the owner. The Board have recently made offers for several estates in Connemara, but no estates have actually been purchased there within the past twelve months.
§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the right hon. Gentleman whether the Estates Commissioners have acquired the Blake estate, situate at Cormeen, county Meath; and, if not, whether he will state what negotiations, if any, have taken place?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Land Judge in whose Court the estate is the subject of proceedings, has intimated to the Estates Commissioners that he is prepared to accept their preliminary estimate of price for portion of the property, and the Commissioners hope to make a formal offer at an early date.
§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked whether there are six tenants on the estate of Sir Morgan O'Connell, at Ballybeggan and Clash, Tralee, county Kerry, whose lands have not yet been sold to them; and whether steps will be taken to secure that these men will get purchase before the lands are declared an estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have no information as to the tenants referred to. The townlands mentioned are neither included in that portion of Sir Morgan O'Connell's estate which has been offered for sale to the Board nor are they on the portion of his estate near Cahirciveen, which the tenants had agreed to buy direct from the landlord, and of which the Board are at present considering the question of purchase.
§ Mr. O'DONNELLIt is the Estates Commissioners, and not the Congested Districts Board.
§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked whether, in the case of Mrs. Dunleavy, evicted tenant, 1524 Killterry, Milltown, county Kerry, the present occupant of the lands is prepared to give them up if compensated; and, if so, will steps be taken to have this done?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on the 27th November last, and to which I have nothing to add.
§ Mr. DUFFYasked whether the Estates Commissioners have issued a formal proposal to purchase the estate of the representatives of H. Dolphin Turve, Loughrea; has it been accepted; and, if so, can the right hon. Gentleman state when the Commissioners expect to be able to deal with this property?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe reply to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. The Estates Commissioners inform me that the proposal has not yet been accepted.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked if the vesting orders will be issued this year on the estate of Lord Carbery, at Bruff, county Limerick?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners anticipate that this estate will be dealt with during the ensuing financial year.
§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked whether any lands have been offered for sale to the Estates Commissioners known as the Howth estate, situate at Gravelstown, Carlanstown, county Meath; and whether any lands in the same district have been offered to them by Mr. Edward Mitchell?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe reply to both paragraphs of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the right hon. Gentleman whether he is aware that J. P. Farrell, of Cookstown Great, has applied for an advance to purchase a holding on the Nicholson estate, situate at Horath, county Meath; whether their attention has been called to the fact that he is only about seventeen years of age, and that at the time the holding was assigned to him by his father, David Farrell, of the same address, he was under fourteen years of age; whether it is in accordance with the spirit and intention of the Land Acts to make advances of public money to a minor who received an assignment of a farm from his father who had already received or applied for the maximum amount allowed to any one purchaser, and, if not, what action the 1525 Commissioners propose to take; and whether he will state the amount applied for J. P. Farrell, the amount of bonus payable, and the quantity of stock necessary to be issued to raised the amount applied for?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants. An agreement signed by J. P. Farrell, applying for an advance of £4,536 for the purchase of his holding, has been lodged with the Estates Commissioners, and inquiries are being made into the circumstances of the case. The Commissioners are not at present in a position to express any opinion on the other matters referred to in the question.
§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked whether David Farrell, of Cookstown Great, Kells, county Meath, applied for and obtained advances to purchase several holdings, one on the estate of Captain Charles A. Tisdall, situate at Atgaine Great, also a holding on the estate of the Venerable J. G. Scott, at Cookstown Great, and another on the estate of Captain Edward R. Taylor, situate at Cortown, all in the county of Meath; whether he will state the amount applied for and advanced in each case together with the amount of the bonus payable, and if he will state the quantity of stock issued or to be issued to raise the necessary amount of cash; and whether the Commissioners are aware of any other advances applied for by the same gentleman?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that David Farrell appears to have obtained advances under the Land Purchase Acts of £4,462 for the purchase of his holding on the estate of Archdeason Scott, and £2,538 for the purchase of his holding on the Brabazon estate, both in county Meath. The advances in both cases were made in cash. The Commissioners cannot find that David Farrell has applied for, or obtained, any other advances under the Land Purchase Acts.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked whether the vesting orders had yet been issued on the estate of Lord Langford, in the county of Limerick; if so, was any report made on the farms of James and Geoffrey Walsh, at Clonbrien, Drunacomer, Kilmalloch, who refused to sign purchase agreements because of the exorbitant price agreed on; and, as their rents were nothing less than rack-rents, would some steps be taken by the Estates Commissioners to bring about a settlement?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that the advances have been made and the holdings vested in the majority of the purchasing tenants. Geoffrey and James Walsh appear to be second term judicial tenants, but no agreements signed by them for the purchase of their holdings have been lodged with the Commissioners. The estate is being sold by the owner direct to the tenants, and the terms of purchase is a matter of agreement between the parties.
§ Mr. HORNERasked whether the Return relating to the sales under the Irish Land Purchase Acts which was promised to the hon. Member for South Tyrone was yet ready for presentation; and, if not, when it might be expected to be presented?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis Return is in course of preparation, and the Estates Commissioners hope that it will be ready for presentation to Parliament within the next fortnight.
§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked whether the Estates Commissioners have yet made an offer for the estate of the Countess De Kervegnen, situate at Clonsilla, county Meath; and, if not, whether he will state the cause of the delay?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have recently communicated to the owner their estimate of the price they will be prepared to offer in this matter.