§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary if the farm of Normangrove, Kinvarra, 1246 was offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board by the owner, Miss M. Forster, Post House, Ruan, county Clare; is he aware of the state of congestion which exists in the neighbourhood of this farm; and will he explain how it is that the Board are so slow in acquiring and dealing with estates such as this one?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board are in communication with the owner regarding the purchase of the farm referred to.
§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware of the existence of evicted tenants on the Blake Foster estate, Kinvarra; what happened to their applications for reinstatement; how many years ago it is since the applications of these evicted tenants were considered; and how many years have yet to elapse before their claims will receive the attention of the Estates Commissioners?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have received applications from six persons seeking reinstatement as evicted tenants from the Blake Foster estate. The Commissioners have allotted one applicant a holding on lands acquired by them, and the wife and family of another applicant have been reinstated by the landlord. The Commissioners decided, after inquiry and consideration, to take no action on the remaining applications.
§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary whether any inquiry has taken place into the memorial forwarded by the small tenants living in the neighbourhood of Skeggavagh, Kinvarra; whether a representation was made that all the holdings are uneconomic; that a grazing farm runs alongside of their small holdings; that it is owned by a landowner of vast estates, Mr. Walter S. Taylor, Castle Taylor; whether the Congested Districts Board have communicated with Mr. Taylor; and with what result?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board received the memorial referred to in which it is stated that the holdings of the memorialists are uneconomic. The Board communicated with Mr. Shaw Taylor regarding a sale of the farm referred to, but he does not desire to sell, and states that the townland is too rocky and scrubby, and unsuitable for the purpose of subdivision.
§ Mr. DUFFYCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Commissioners, have considered the question?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI do not know. Perhaps they have not had an opportunity of considering the question. I have given Mr. Taylor's view.
§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary whether any offer for sale of the estate of Mrs. Daly, of Carrowculeen and Funshinbeg, Kinvarra, has been made to the Congested Districts Board, and when; has an inspection taken place; and will he explain how the matter now stands?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate has been offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board. It has been inspected and valued, and an offer will soon be made to the owner.
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir, I really cannot. The Congested Districts Board is simply smothered with applications.
§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that agreements to purchase their holdings were signed and perfected eight years ago on the estate of Mr. Lopdell, Cappamore, Kinvarra; whether the estate is one largely congested; whether it contains an evicted holding formerly the property of Patt Donohue; whether Donohue is to be restored to his original holding or provided with one elsewhere before the sale goes through; and can he indicate when the Congested Districts Board expect to be able to deal with this estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of direct sale proceedings by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903. Purchase agreements signed by the tenants were lodged in 1906, and the Estates Commissioners anticipate that the estate will be inspected in order of priority during the financial year commencing the 1st April. Donohue's former holding is now occupied by six other tenants, with whom the Commissioners have no power to interfere, but when the estate is being inspected his application will be inquired into for consideration in connection with the allotment of such untenanted land as the Commissioners may acquire for distribution.
§ Mr. BIRRELLPriority, unfortunately, means that you come on in your turn.
§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware of the receipt of a 1248 memorial by the Congested Districts Board from the tenants and small farmers living on the outskirts of the estate of Captain W. Persse, Roxburgh, Loughrea; does he know that the district is one largely congested; is he aware that the estate comprises thousands of acres of untenanted land, outside and independent of the largest demesne in county Galway; and can he state if any request was made by the Board to Captain Persse to sell, and with what result?
§ Mr. BIRRELLSeveral memorials have been addressed to the Congested Districts Board regarding this estate in county Galway, which is stated to contain large areas of grass lands. The Board communicated with the owner, and, so far he has not agreed to negotiate through them for the sale of his estate. A further communication will be addressed to him.
§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, in the case of the property of J. Stratford Tuite, at Killeen, Granard, county Longford, there is a non-residential farm which is being let as untenanted land on the eleven months' system in that district; and whether, having regard to the scarcity of land for division amongst uneconomic holdings in the district, he will direct the Estates Commissioners to enter into negotiations with Mr. Tuite to acquire this farm under the 42nd Section of the Land Purchase Act, 1909, and divide it accordingly.
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of direct sale proceeding under the Land Purchase Acts. There is no untenanted land included in the proceedings before the Estates Commissioners, who, when they are dealing with the estate, will inquire into the matter referred to by the hon. Member.