§ Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that the estate of Lord Massey, Kinlough. county Leitrim, has been offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board; and whether, having regard to the state of congestion in that district and the need of relief, the Board will take steps to acquire the estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLProceedings for the sale of this estate to the Estates Commissioners are at present pending before the Commissioners, who will consider the question of acquiring the estate as soon as practicable.
§ Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked whether the Congested Districts Board have decided to purchase the Aughadenvane ranch on the Johnstone estate, Kinlough, county Leitrim, for the purpose of redistribution and relief of congestion?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants. An agreement signed by the late Mr. St. G. E. Johnston, uncle of the vendor, for the purchase of the lands referred to in his occupation was lodged with the Estates Commissioners. Mr. Johnston has since died, and the Commissioners understand that the vendor is willing to sell his land to 971 them, and they will deal with the matter as soon as certain questions of title have been determined.
§ Mr. JOHN PHILLIPSasked what is the date, in the order of priority, on which the vesting orders will be issued to the tenants on the estate of the Rev. Sir George Fetherston, Ardagh, Edgeworthstown, Ireland, as this estate was sold to the tenants by mutual agreement five years ago?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants, and agreements signed by the latter for the purchase of their holdings were lodged with the Estates Commissioners in 1908. It is on the Principal Register of Direct Sales (All Cash), and will be dealt with in its order of priority, but the Commissioners are not at present in a position to say when it will be reached in its turn.
§ Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked whether the right hon. Gentleman will state if the Estates Commissioners have yet made provision for the reinstatement of Patrick Rooney, an evicted tenant on the J. S. Ellis estate, Wardhouse, Tullaghan, county Leitrim, or to provide him with a suitable farm elsewhere1?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners received an application from Patrick Rooney for reinstatement in a holding, the valuation of which is £3, formerly occupied by him on the Ellis estate, county Leitrim, and now in the possession of another tenant, and, after inquiry and consideration, they have decided to take no action in the matter.
§ Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked whether the right hon. Gentleman will state what steps the Congested Districts Board have taken to acquire the Dickson estates, situated at Tawley and Tullaghan, county Leitrim, and the Barton estate, Tullaghan, from which a number of tenants have been evicted; and whether, having regard to the fact that a large proportion of the tenants are deprived of the benefits of the Land Acts, and are still being compelled to pay unreasonable rents as future tenants, and the amount of congestion prevailing in these districts, the Board will take immediate action to purchase these estates?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board are in communication with Miss 972 Marian D. Dickson with a view to the purchase of her estate at Tawley. Colonel B. J. Barton has refused to negotiate for the sale of his property to the Board, and they do not propose to take any action with a view to acquiring it compulsorily pending the result of proceedings which have been instituted for the compulsory purchase of other estates.
§ Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that James Gilroy, of Duncarbery, Tullaghan, county Leitrim, an evicted tenant on the Dickson estate, is being deprived of the benefits of the Evicted Tenants Act on the ground of a technical mistake in his application; and whether, having regard to the fact that this man was induced to remain in the country with the hope of being reinstated in his father's farm, and the amount of waste lands available in that district, the Estates Commisiosners will reconsider his application?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe holding formerly occupied by Gilroy's father has been purchased by the present occupier under the Land Purchase Acts, and cannot therefore be acquired under the Evicted Tenants Act. In any event, Gilroy's application was not lodged within the period prescribed by the Act, and the Estates Commissioners do not intend to take any action in the matter of his application or to provide him with a farm elsewhere.
§ Mr. MEAGHERasked whether he is aware that, in the case of the sale of the Wandesforde estate, Castlecomer, to the tenants, under the Land Purchase Act of 1903, claims for restoration to their holdings or equivalent holdings were made on behalf of Mrs. Bridget Meally, Loon, and Edward Comerford, Ballylinnen, tenants who were dispossessed from their holdings within the period covered by the Evicted Tenants Act on the above property; and, if so, why some steps have not been taken to have these tenants or their representatives restored, having regard to the fact that inquiries were made of them by an inspector from the Estates Commissioners within the past five years, and seeing that the sub-landlord in the case of the former and the present occupier of the holding in the case of the latter applicant were satisfied to have them restored on compensation being paid to them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners received and inquired into applications for reinstatement from Bridget 973 Meally, formerly a sub-tenant, and from Edward Comerford, formerly a tenant on the Prior-Wandesforde estate. Bridget Meally's former holding is in the possession of a tenant-purchaser, and Comer-ford's old holding is in the occupation of another tenant. The Commissioners decided to take no action in the matter of these applications.
§ Mr. FFRENCHasked whether the Estates Commissioners have refused to advance money to purchase their holdings to the three sub-tenants on the farm of Mr. Cardiff, Gurtiminogue, Murrintown, tenant on the Rowe estate, South Wexford, notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Cardiff has signified his intention of handing over to the sub-tenants his interest in their holdings; and on what grounds the application was refused?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners are not prepared to make advances repayable by land purchase annuities to the sub-tenants referred to. If they want to become owners of the plots held by them they will have to lodge the purchase money in cash.