§ 21. Mr. BOLANDasked what steps, if any, have been taken by the Congested Districts Board to complete the purchase of the estate of the late Edward Sugure, Emlaghmore, in the Ballinskelligs district; and whether, in view of the fact that this estate adjoins that of Trinity College, for which negotiations are in progress, immediate steps will be taken in the matter?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board communicated with the trustees of the estate referred to, and were informed that the persons interested were not disposed to sell the property. The Board do not, at present, propose to take steps to acquire compulsorily this estate.
§ 25. Mr. DORISasked whether the Congested Districts Board contemplate vesting in a Mr. Aitkin, under the Land Act of 1909, sixty acres of the farm of Carramore, on the (late) O'Donel estate, county Mayo; whether Mr. Aitkin already owns and occupies 132 acres of excellent land acquired under a previous Land Purchase Act; whether the average valuation of neighbouring holdings is about £2 per year; and will he advise the Board that it is their duty under the Act to distribute the entire farm of Carramore amongst the poor occupiers of uneconomic holdings in the district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have decided to sell to Mr. Aitkin seventy-two acres of the farm held by him as tenant at Carramore on the estate referred to, and to take up from him the remaining 148 acres of the farm. The Board are aware that Mr. Aitkin already owns and occupies a farm of about 100 acres acquired by him under previous Purchase Acts, and that there are a number of small holdings in the district. The Board came to their decision after careful consideration and after a committee of members of the Board had visited the lands.
§ 26. Mr. DUFFYasked whether agreements to purchase their holdings have been signed by the tenants for the past six years in respect to the estate of Lady Larpent, situate at Ardrahan, Ballybane, Caherduff, etc., in the county of Galway; and can he indicate when the Commissioners expect to be able to deal with this estate1?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners hope to deal with this estate during the current financial year.
§ 27. Mr. DUFFYasked whether the Estates Commissioners received an application from John Byrne in the year 1904 in respect of his claim as an evicted tenant; is he aware that John Byrne was evicted out of his holding in the year 1883, was put back as a caretaker, and remained for two years as such in his old holding, Kilmalaw, Kilconnell, county Galway; 1397 whether he is aware that John Byrne resides at present with his three sons at Balin Tubber, Kilrickle, in a labourer's cottage; and, having regard to the fact that the Evicted Tenants Act was passed largely to deal with such cases, will he explain what action the Estates Commissioners propose to take in connection with the reinstatement of this man and his family in their former home?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners received an application from John Byrne for reinstatement in a holding on the Ussher estate, county Galway, now in the occupation of another tenant, and, after inquiry and consideration, decided to take no action in the matter.
§ Mr. DUFFYCan the right hon. Gentleman give the reasons why they refused to entertain the application?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir. Not in each case.
§ 28. Mr. BOLANDasked whether the tenants on the Mahony estate, at Dooks, near Glenbeigh, have made it clear that one of the conditions of purchase is that the evicted tenants be restored to their holdings; whether he is aware that in the case of the late Michael O'Sullivan, who was evicted from his holding, no valid objection can be made to the reinstatement of his daughter; and whether steps will now be taken to complete the purchase negotiations?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am informed that the tenants on the estate referred to made the reinstatement of the representatives of the late Michael O'Sullivan one of the conditions of purchase. Owing to this fact and to the demands of the tenants as to the prices at which their holdings would be resold, the Congested Districts Board recently decided that they would not make an offer for the purchase of the estate.
§ Mr. T. O'DONNELLMay I ask if the Estates Commissioners will not send another inspector to inquire into this ease?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI will ask if they have not sufficient information already.
§ 30. Mr. DUFFYasked what steps have been taken by the Congested Districts Board for acquiring the estate of Messrs. Concannon and St. George, situate at Tyrone, Balindereen, county Galway; if he is aware that the district is one largely 1398 congested; and that over fifty tenants are to be found on the estate under a £6 valuation; and, in view of the urgency of assisting these small tenants, whether he will call the attention of the Congested Districts Board to the matter so that practical steps may be taken to deal with this estate immediately?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board inform me that the estate referred to has been inspected, and that they have recently decided to make an offer for it which will be issued at an early date. If terms of purchase are agreed upon the rearrangement of the estate will be taken up as soon as practicable.
§ 31. Mr. DUFFYasked whether the Congested Districts Board have concluded negotiations for the purchase of the Glover estate, the property of representatives of M. Monahan, Glover, Athenry; is he aware that the estate comprises a few small holdings located in a most insanitary place and subject to frequent attacks of fever epidemics; and, having regard to the length of time which has elapsed since this estate was originally offered to the Estates Commissioners, will he bring the matter to the notice of the Congested Districts Board so as to speed on the settlement of this estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate will be inspected and the question of its purchase decided as soon as the particulars asked for by the Congested Districts Board are supplied. The Board have no information regarding the condition of the holdings, nor as to the fever epidemics referred to.
§ Mr. DUFFYHas not practically the same reply been given to this question for the past four or five years? Can the right hon. Gentleman hold out any hope that in the near future the Congested Districts Board will deal with this estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir; the Congested Districts Board cannot deal with this estate until the particulars asked for are supplied.
§ 32. Mr. SHEEHANasked whether Daniel Cooney was the original applicant for a labourer's cottage and allotment near Coachford in the last improvement scheme promoted by the Macroom rural district; that, though he was actually recognised as tenant by the council and allowed to enjoy the use of the plot for the past few years, the council have now ousted Cooney and admitted a man named Daniel Murray; and, in view of the provisions of the 1399 Labourers (Ireland) Act, 1906, will the Local Government Board refuse their sanction to the course adopted by the council and order that the tenancy be created in favour of Daniel Cooney, the original applicant?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe cottage and allotment referred to were included by the Macroom Rural District Council in their scheme in pursuance of a representation lodged on behalf of Daniel Murray, a married man with five in family, living in a condemned house, whereas the representation on behalf of Daniel Cooney, an unmarried man, was rejected by the council. Murray is the original applicant, being a labourer on whose behalf the representation was made on which the scheme was founded. The matter is one entirely for the district council, as the sanction of the Local Government Board is not required to be given to the selection of tenants for such cottages.
§ 40. Mr. SHEEHANasked whether the Massey estate, Macroom, is being at present inspected by an inspector of the Estates Commissioners, and, if so, can he state with what object this inspection is being undertaken; is it with a view of deciding what the purchase price shall be; will there be any further inspection before the holdings are vested in the tenants; and when does he expect that the vesting will take place?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have directed an inspection of this estate to be made with the view of making an offer to the Land Judge for its purchase. The Commissioners cannot at this stage of the proceedings reply to the other matters referred to in the question.
§ 41. Mr. SHEEHANasked if the right hon. Gentleman can state the circumstances under which the tenants on the Massey estate, Macroom, county Cork, entered into agreements to purchase; whether it was through the intervention of the Estates Commissioners this result was secured; what was the date on which the Estates Commissioners mediated between representatives of the owners and tenants at their offices in Dublin; can he give the conditions upon which it was then agreed that the sale of the estate should take place; was it one of the conditions that all the untenanted lands on the estate, including the demesne lands then and since let on the eleven months' 1400 grazing system, should be acquired by the Estates Commissioners for the purpose of distribution amongst the evicted tenants, small holders, and labourers of the locality; are the untenanted lands, turbary, and mountain areas being so acquired; if so, what is their area; and how is it proposed to allot them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on 12th April, 1911, to which I have nothing further to add.
§ Mr. SHEEHANHas the right hon. Gentleman no further information with regard to the untenanted lands since the 12th of April last?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir; I have no further information to give now than I had then.
§ 51. Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the Estates Commissioners have declined to entertain the applications for compensation or reinstatement in the holdings formerly occupied by them on the estate of the trustees of H. G. M. Stewart, county Donegal, of two tenants, Owen Ward and Michael Byrne, whose cases were unaccountably overlooked at the time of the purchase of this estate, Owen Ward having been evicted, with a sister now dead, five and twenty years ago, from his farm Killestuart, Ardara, county Donegal, the farm ever since lying derelict, and Michael Byrne, now of Common, Ardara, being evicted thirteen years ago from a small farm at Meenavally, Ardara, now occupied by a Mr. Morton, of Dariul, Scotland, who has no objection to Byrne's reinstatement; and whether, having regard to the hardship of these cases and the discontent in the locality created thereby, the grounds of the refusal of the Commissioners to entertain the applications not being explained, the Commissioners may be requested, in the interests of peace, to reconsider their decision?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners received applications from John Ward and Michael Byrne for reinstatement in holdings formerly occupied by them on the Stewart estate, county Donegal, and, after full inquiry and consideration, the Commissioners have decided to take no action in the matter of their applications and they do not see any reason to alter this decision. They cannot find that they have received any application from Owen Ward.
§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this question is causing very great discontent and these people are supposed to be suffering under a very serious sense of wrong?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAny positive decision is apt to create dissatisfaction. The Estates Commissioners assure me that they have given this matter full consideration, and they cannot come to any other determination.
§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the inspector sent down never saw either of these men, and might I ask that a matter of this kind of great seriousness should be reconsidered?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI will represent the views of the hon. Member to the Estates Commissioners.