§ 76. Mr. LYNCHasked the cause of the delay in vesting the tenants in the Reeves estate, county Clare; and whether the Chief Secretary can fix a date when this matter will be definitely completed?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo avoidable delay has occurred in the re-sale of the estate referred to, and no date can be definitely fixed for the completion of the re-sale.
§ 78. Mr. LYNCHasked whether, in regard to a non-residential farm near Lisdoonvarna, West Clare, owned by Mr. J. J. Cullinan, solicitor, Ennis, the Chief Secretary is aware that the tenants are paying £4 per annum per head for cows; and whether the Congested Districts Board will take steps to acquire this property, compulsorily if necessary?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe farm referred to has not been offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board, and they have no information regarding it except that furnished in a memorial received by them in which it is stated that tenants in the neighbourhood pay £4 per head per annum for the grazing of cows. It is not stated in the memorial whether Mr. Cullinan holds the lands in fee simple or as a tenant or tenant purchaser.
§ 79. Mr. REDDYasked when the agreements for the purchase of the estate of French Caulfield and another, at Rath-gibbon, King's County, E. C. 4,702, were signed by the purchasing tenants; what is the cause of delay in this case, as other properties later on the market have been paid for and vesting orders issued; will the landlords be paid in stock or cash; and can any hope be held out that the property will be included in the list to be paid for the year beginning April next?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the purchase agreements were not lodged until February, 1907. The estate will be dealt with in order of priority on the principal register of direct sales (all cash), but having regard to its 707 position on that register and the claims of other estates, the Estates Commissioners are not at present in a position to say when it will be reached. The other properties referred to are presumably cases in which the vendors elected to take payment either wholly or partly in stock.
§ 81. Mr. DELANYasked the Chief Secretary whether he can explain the special circumstances under which the Estates Commissioners propose to sanction an advance of £3,800 to John G. Moore, Rossleighan, tenant, estate of Arthur Moore and others (E. C. 3,894), Queen's County; whether he is aware that the tenant in this case was induced to sign purchase agreements on the promise of receiving an addition to his holding of adjacent cut-away bog, which promise has not been fulfilled, and that Mr. Moore was further induced to sign fair-rent agreements prior to the signing of purchase agreements, the result of which was that his holdings were not inspected for value, that the rents named in the agreements were in no sense fair rents, and that in one case he was treated as a second-term tenant; and can he say what course the Estates Commissioners are prepared to adopt in this matter?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that Moore entered into agreements with the owners of the estate to purchase his holdings at prices amounting to £3,843, and in his agreements applied for advances amounting to this sum. On the recommendation of the inspector who visited the estate the Commissioners sanctioned advances of £3,830, being the amount applied for by Moore, less £13 in respect of a labourer's plot acquired on the lands, and at their request the owners included with Moore's holding twelve and a half acres of bog free of charge. No proceedings have been instituted by Moore to have the agreements set aside, and the lands will be vested in him in accordance with the agreements which are in legal form and properly executed.
§ 84. Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked whether the delay concerning the title to the estate of Kerveguen, situate at Clonsillagh, county Meath, has now been overcome; and, if so, what is the cause of further delaying the payment of the purchase money and the subsequent distribution of the land?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe necessary requirements as to title have been complied with by the solicitors, and the prescribed notices have been published by the Estates Commissioners, who hope to be in a position at an early date to issue their formal proposal to purchase under the Land Purchase Acts.
§ 85. Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked whether the Estates Commissioners have purchased, or have been offered for sale, the land known as the Hope estate, situate at Loughbawn, Oldcastle, county Meath; and to what extent the negotiations, if any, have progressed?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe tenanted portion of this estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owners to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903. The Estates Commissioners understand that the owners are prepared to sell the untenanted lands on the estate, with the exception of the mansion house division, to them for purposes of distribution, and the matter will be duly considered by the Commissioners when dealing with the estate in order of priority.
§ 86. Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked whether the Estates Commissioners have recently sent an inspector to the Nicholson estate, Balrath, county Meath, to value some untenanted land in order that an agreement entered into by the vendor who sold direct to about seventeen tenants that he would sell sufficient land to enlarge their holdings at a price to be fixed by the Commissioners might be carried into effect; and whether he will state generally how the matter now stands?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and has been recently inspected. The matter referred to by the hon. Member will be considered by the Estates Commissioners when they are dealing with the estate.
§ 87. Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Chief Secretary whether, in distributing the estate of Blake and others, situate at Cormeen, county Meath, it is proposed to pass over the claim of a deserving applicant named Patrick Smith, junior, whose fitness to work a farm is supported by the public opinion of the district; whether, before finally disposing of the lands, his application will be reconsidered; whether he will state the extent of his family and of the holding upon which this man at 709 present resides and it s proximity to the acquired estate; and whether others who lived at a greater distance are being more favourably considered?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe application of Patrick Smith, junior, for an allotment on the Blake estate, county Meath, was, with other applications, considered by the Estates Commissioners, and they did not see their way to allot him any portion of the lands. The allotment of the land available for distribution was made by the Commissioners in the exercise of the discretion vested in them, and they cannot now reopen the question of the allotment so made.