§ 13. Sir JOHN LONSDALEasked the Chief Secretary if his attention has been called to the circumstances under which the distribution of a farm of 300 acres near Rochfort Bridge, county Westmeath, is being carried out by the Estates Commissioners; if he has been informed that on Sunday, the 6th April, the Rev. F. Dillon, C.C., at Meedian Chapel, had a resolution passed that no person other than a Catholic should get Newcastle House and 150 acres of land round it; if he is aware that at an auction of grazing on this land on the 12th April Father Dillon publicly referred to this resolution, and said it had the full support of several local parish priests and others, and that he was in communication with Mr. Bailey, Estates Commissioner, on the matter; if there are any Protestant applicants for a share in the distribution of these lands; and if the Estates Commissioners are aware of this action of certain priests in the locality and will see that Protestants are not thereby debarred from participating in the distribution?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis question apparently refers to the lands of Newcastle on the Shaw estate, county Westmeath, which has been acquired by the Estates Commissioners under the Land Purchase Acts, and a scheme for the distribution of the lands is in course of preparation. The Commissioners have no information as to the resolution and speech referred to in the question. They have no knowledge of, and never make any inquiries regarding, the religion of applicants for parcels of untenanted land on estates acquired by them.
§ Sir J. LONSDALEDid not the police make any report of this resolution?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir.
§ Sir W. NUGENTIs not the practice of the Estates Commissioners always the very opposite to that which is suggested in the question; is it not the fact that they never inquire into the religion of applicants, and that their practice meets with universal approval all over Ireland?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThat certainly is the practice of the Estates Commissioners, and I hope it is universally approved.
Captain CRAIGCan the right hon. Gentleman explain how it is that in nearly all instances Protestants are refused allotments of land?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI really do not believe that to be the case.
§ Sir J. LONSDALEIt is the case.
§ 14. Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the estate of Mrs. Daly, situate at Carrowkillien and and Funchinbeg, Kinvarra, has been acquired by the Congested Districts Board and inspected in September, 1911; is he aware that the holdings of the tenants are compact and free from run-dale; and will he state the cause of holding this estate up so long without vesting it in the tenants?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe final inspection of the estate referred to was made by the Congested Districts Board in March, 1912, and their offer for purchase was accepted in June last. The property has not yet been vested in the Board. When it is the question of reselling the estate will be considered.
§ 15. Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary whether any steps have been taken by the Congested Districts Board to acquire the estate of Messrs. Browne and Lucas, situate at Newton, Kilcolgan, county Galway, and with what result; is he aware that this estate covers a congested district and includes a comparatively large farm, which, if purchased by the Board, would make a number of the small holdings economic; can he state how long this property has been lodged in the Land Courts; who is the solicitor acting for the estate; and is there any reason why the estate should not be acquired and dealt with contemporaneously with the Tyrone estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have made an offer for the purchase of this property. The Board are aware that there is congestion on the estate, and that there is a large farm which might be utilised for the enlargement of the tenants' holdings. The Board have no information as to how long the matter has been before the Land Judge's Court. Messrs. F. Sutton and Sons, 52, Dame Street, Dublin, are the solicitors acting for the estate. If the Board's offer for the estate is accepted, they propose to deal with it simultaneously with the Tyrone estate referred to.
§ 16. Mr. BOLANDasked what reply has been received by the Congested Districts Board from Trinity College as regards the sale of its estates in the barony of Iveragh, county Kerry?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have been informed that their offer for the Trinity College estate cannot be considered at present owing to the illness of the Provost.
§ Mr. BOLANDMay I take it that Trinity College has not refused to sell to the Estates Commissioners?
§ Mr. BIRRELLOh, no.
§ 20. Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked whether the Estates Commissioners have yet made any provision for John Dorgan, evicted tenant on the estate of O'Grady Conyers, at Castletown, county Limerick?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on the 24th October last, to which I have nothing to add at present.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYWill the right hon. Gentleman press the Estates Commissioners to go into the matter at once, as this man has been over twenty years evicted?
§ 21. Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked whether any progress has recently been made by the Estates Commissioners towards the completion of the sale of the Mahony congested estate at Mount Collins, county Limerick; and how soon the tenants will know what is their position with regard to the amount of land and turbary to be allotted to them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe statutory requirements as to title and other matters have not yet been complied with as regards additional land which the Estates Commissioners propose to purchase in the vicinity of this estate, and until this land has been acquired they will not be in a position to make any statement as to its distribution.
§ 26. Mr. FFRENCHasked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that all the papers with reference to the Boyd estate, South Wexford (Record No. 9545), were lodged with the Estates Commissioners on 10th January last; if the inspector of the Land Commission has yet inspected the land and made his report; how many acres does the estate contain and how many are occupied and what is the rental; are there any evicted tenants belonging to the estate and what do the Estates Commissioners propose to do with them; and how many acres are available for the enlargement of unecomonic holdings?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that the papers in the case of this estate are at present with one of their surveyors, and they are not, therefore, in a position to give the detailed particulars asked for in the question.
§ 28. Viscount CASTLEREAGHasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware of the circumstances under which a herd on the estate of Colonel O'Callaghan Westropp, in county Clare, has been refused a holding in the distribution of the land by the Congested Districts Board; whether he is aware that this herd, whose name is Robert Bell, has been over fifteen years on the estate in the employment of Colonel O'Callaghan Westropp, and is a Protestant; whether portions of the estate have been allotted to farmers who had no connection with the property before; and, if 1353 so, will he say why they were preferred to a Protestant herd, such as Robert Bell; whether he is aware that the house of Robert Bell was broken into some time ago and his firearms stolen, with other property, and that Robert Bell was boycotted for a considerable time; and whether, under all these circumstances, he will request the Congested Districts Board to reconsider their decision to refuse a farm to Robert Bell?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am informed that Robert Bell was employed by Colonel O'Callaghan Westropp for fifteen years, and is a Protestant. His house was broken into and his firearms stolen in 1901, and he was also partially boycotted two years ago. The Congested Districts Board decided not to give him a holding on the O'Callaghan Westropp estate as they required the untenanted land there for the relief of congestion. They offered him a holding elsewhere in the county, but he refused it.
Captain CRAIGIs it not the ordinary practice that when a man has lived there fifteen years he should have preference for a farm?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe object of the Congested Districts Board, when they acquire a property, is first to relieve congestion, and until they have done that nobody has any claim.
Captain CRAIGIs not this another case in which a man is refused land for no other reason except that he happens to be a Protestant?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir.