§ 10. Mr. GUINEYasked the Chief Secretary what is the cause of the delay in issuing vesting orders to the tenants of the Hungerford and Cloran estate, situate at Lackanastoka and Mount Infant, near Kingwilliamstown, county Cork, agreements to purchase having been entered into six years since?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owners to the tenants and is on the principal register of direct sales (all cash). It has not yet been reached in order of 1350 priority, but the Estates Commissioners expect that it will be dealt with during the financial year commencing 1st April next.
§ 12. Mr. AUGUSTINE ROCHEasked whether the Estates Commissioners have acquired any land in county Louth for the purpose of reinstating evicted tenants; if so, how much and where is it situated; and when, and how, do they propose to deal with it?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have purchased some 2,650 acres of untenanted land in county Louth, and have utilised it, amongst other purposes, in the provision of holdings for evicted tenants whose applications have been approved by the Commissioners. Proceedings for the purchase of a further area of over 600 acres of untenanted land in the same county are at present pending before the Commissioners, and these lands will be dealt with in order of priority. There is only one evicted tenant in the county whose name has been provisionally noted for consideration by the Commissioners who has not yet been provided with a holding, and his application will be further considered by the Commissioners in connection with the allotment of the above lands if acquired by them.
§ 13. Mr. THOMAS F. SMYTHasked the Chief Secretary if the Estates Commissioners will purchase the town of Carrick-on-Shannon, county Leitrim, with the grass lands adjoining on the estate of Mrs. Petronella Whyte, particularly as the owner is willing to sell, she having notified the tenants through her agent; and, as the greater portion of the agricultural estate was sold about four years ago to the tenants who have signed purchase agreements, but as the purchase money has not as yet been advanced, whether it would be possible to include the town and the land adjoining in the original sale, considering that some of the town tenants already hold farms of land on the estate, and also that their business houses would be ample security for the money required to purchase the same?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe question of making advances for the purchase of the town holdings and other lands referred to will be considered by the Estates Commissioners when they are dealing with the estate in order of priority, but at this stage of the proceedings they are not in a position to state what advances (if any) they may be able to make in this matter.
§ 19. Mr. O'DOWDasked whether the Congested Districts Board contemplate putting into operation the compulsory Clauses of the Land Act of 1909 in the case of those landlords in the West of Ireland who refuse to negotiate for the sale of their estates with either the tenants or the Board?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board are acquiring by voluntary sale as many estates as they can deal with at present. Compulsory proceedings have been suspended by the Board in cases in which some landlords have refused to sell, pending the result of proceedings now before the Law Courts.
§ 20. Mr. O'DOWDasked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board have yet approached Mr. Charles Phibbs, J.P., Doobeg, Ballymote, county Sligo, with a view of purchasing his estate, situate in the east division of Kilturra, Tubbercurry Union; and, if so, can he state the result of the negotiations?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board communicated with Mr. Charles Phibbs regarding the sale of his estate in county Sligo, and were informed that he had no land for sale outside his demesne.
§ 21. Mr. O'DOWDasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Mr. Charles Phibbs, J.P., of Doobeg, Bally mote, county Sligo, an extensive land lord, holds the grazing ranch of Leitrim Hill, on the Harlech estate, in the union of Tubbercurry, the rest of which estate has already been sold to the tenantry under the Act of 1903; and, if so, whether he will see that this farm be acquired by the Congested Districts Board, compulsorily or otherwise, for the relief of congestion in the district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe farm referred to has not been offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board, nor have the Board considered the question of acquiring it compulsorily.
§ 24. Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked whether the Estates Commissioners have considered the application for reinstatement of William M'Gowan, of Raheelan, an evicted tenant on the Wynne estate, Ballaghameehan, county Leitrim; and, if not, whether, previous to the estate being vested, his claim will be favourably considered and a free grant allowed under Section 6 of the Land Act of 1908?
§ Mr. BIRRELLFrom the particulars before the Estates Commissioners it would not appear that this case comes within the Evicted Tenants Act, but it will be inquired into when the estate is being dealt with in connection with the sale of the property under the Land Purchase Acts.
§ 25. Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked whether the Estates Commissioners will consider the application of Patrick Skea, of Drumnarget, Ballaghameehan, for a grant under the Land Act of 1908 as an evicted tenant on the Wynne estate, county Leitrim?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis application will be considered by the Estates Commissioners when they are dealing with the estate referred to which is the subject of proceedings for sale before them under the Land Purchase Acts.
§ 26. Mr. MEEHANasked whether, previous to the estate of Lord Massey being vested the Estates Commissioners will consider the application of Mrs. Bridget M'Sharry, of Laureen, Kinlough (not Miss Bridget M'Sharry, of Aughavohill), for reinstatement in her farm on the said estate, as the reinstatement of all evicted tenants was one of the conditions of sale of the estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have considered the case referred to, and will not take any action in regard to the reinstatement of Mrs. M'Sharry to whom they will make no advance to purchase any land under the Land Purchase Acts.
§ 27. Mr. VINCENT KENNEDYasked the Chief Secretary when the purchase agreements on the estate of Jones, E.C. 3476 were lodged; is this estate on the register of direct sales, all cash; how many registers of direct sales, all cash, are there, distinguishing same; when will the purchase money be advanced; and, if the date be uncertain, will he give an approximate date?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAll the purchase agreements in this estate, with one exception, were lodged in January, 1906. The estate was on the principal register of direct sales (all cash), and the purchase money was advanced and the holdings vested in the purchasing tenants in September last. This is the only all cash register of direct sales pending under the Act of 1903.