§ 11. Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked if the right hon. Gentleman will state the progress made by the Congested Districts-Board towards the purchase of the estate of Sir William White, Erris, county, the necessary documents having been deposited early in September of last year; if no offer has yet been made by the Board, when they intend doing so; and from what cause the delay has arisen?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate has been inspected, and the Congested Districts Board have decided to make an offer for it, which will be issued at an early date.
§ 12. Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked what progress has been made by the Congested Districts Board towards the purchase of the estate of Mr. Thomas F. O'Reilly, Erris, county Mayo, the maps, etc., in, connection with which have long been before the Congested Districts Board, both owner and tenants having declared their willingness to complete the sale as early as possible; if no offer has yet been issued by the Congested Districts Board, when they propose doing so; and from what cause the delay in making an offer arises?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate has been inspected, and the Congested Districts Board are about to make an offer for its purchase. There has been no avoidable delay in dealing with the matter.
§ 13. Mr. D. BOYLEasked why the claim for reinstatement of Captain Flynn, Lahardane, county Mayo, an evicted tenant on the Pratt estate, Addergoole,county Mayo, was disallowed by the Estates Commissioners; and, as the Pratt,estate has now been purchased by the Congested Districts Board, and as there are lands available for satisfactorily meeting the claims of all bonâ fide evicted tenants, will the Congested Districts Board now be prepared to deal with the case of Charles Flynn and the other bonâ fide evicted tenants of the estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners received an application from Charles Flynn for reinstatement in a holding on the Pratt estate formerly occupied by his mother and now in the possession of another tenant. The Commissioners have no power to interfere with the present tenant, and they are not prepared to provide Flynn with a holding elsewhere, and he has been so informed. This estate has not been purchased by the Congested Districts Board.
§ 14. Mr. D. BOYLEasked if the maps and documents relating to the estate of Mr. Shaen Carter, Erris, county Mayo, have yet been deposited with the Congested Districts Board; if not, has any correspondence passed between Mr. Carter and the Board on the subject; whether Mr. Carter has indicated when the necessary documents to enable the Board to make an offer may be expected to be deposited; if any person purporting to represent Mr. Carter has recently been visiting tenants on the estate inducing them to sign a document renouncing any desire to become purchasers and expressing preference to remaining tenants of Mr. Carter; if any tenants signatures were obtained in this way, how many; and if the rights of such tenants under the Land Purchase Acts are thereby prejudiced?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe maps and documents necessary for a preliminary inspection of this estate have not been lodged with the Congested Districts Board. They have been in corespondence with Mr. Carter, who stated that he hoped to commence a survey of his estate in May, 1912, and that he would lodge the necessary documents as soon as the survey had been completed. The Board have no information regarding the alleged visit to the tenants of a representative of Mr. Carter as suggested in the question.
§ 15. Mr. D. BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland the present position of affairs in connection with the Congested Districts Board's acquirement of the Rappa estate of Mr. R. A. Knox, county Mayo; is he aware that the affairs of this estate for fourteen years have been in Mr. Justice Ross's Court; that the tenants have publicly declared their willingness to accept the Congested Districts Board's decision as to price and extent of grazing lands to be acquired; that with two exceptions the holdings on the estate are small, congested, and uneconomic; and that the tenants, while patiently waiting the Congested Districts Board's action, are greatly indignant at the recent action of the owner in issuing ejectment orders against Mr. William Gillespie, a rural councillor, who has been appreciably associated with the tenants' cause, and against another person, the object being to deprive them of their rights to consideration when the estate has been acquired?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe estate referred to has, for some years, been in the Court of Mr. Justice Ross for sale, but, so far, the proposals of the Congested Districts Board have not been accepted. The tenants have, it is believed, declared their willingness to accept the decision of the Board with respect to the price to be offered for the estate, and as to the extent of grazing land to be acquired. Most of the holdings on this estate are small and congested. The Board are not aware of the proceedings alleged to have been instituted against Mr. William Gillespie and another tenant, nor is this a matter in which they could interfere.
§ 16. Mr. D. BOYLEasked the present position of the negotiations for the purchase by the Congested Districts Board of the estate of Mrs. F. S. Rendall, Erris, county Mayo, the documents relating to which have been in the hands of the Congested Districts Board since the early days of last September; why this delay has arisen before the Board made an offer; and when they hope to be able to do so?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe complete documents necessary for a preliminary inspection to be made of this property were lodged with the Congested Districts Board in October last. The estate has been inspected, and the Board hope to consider the question of making an offer for its purchase at their meeting next month.