§ 5. Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary if any offer was made by the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of the Wilson Lynch estate situate at Duras, Kinvarra, county Galway, and Aughnish, county Clare; was the offer accepted; and, if so, what is the cause of the delay in arranging a scheme for this estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe estate referred to was offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board, but before an offer for purchase was issued the owner died and his son has decided not to proceed at present with the sale.
§ 6. Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware of any offer being made to the trustees of the Sharpe estate by the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of the property in the town of Kinvarra, county Galway; and will he explain how the sale of this estate stands at the present time?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board issued an offer for the purchase of this estate, which has been refused.
§ 7. Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary what position the Congested Districts Board occupy at present in relation to the purchase of Lord Clanricarde's estate; was the late decision of the Court of Appeal appealed against; and, if so, can he give any indication as to the probable time of trial?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe position is this: Lord Clanricarde has entered an appeal to the House of Lords. I cannot, at present, say what the date of hearing of the appeal will be.
§ 9. Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked the Chief Secretary the final decision of the Estates Commissioners in reference to the purchase-of the lands of Ballymulvey amongst the town tenants of Ballymahon, county Longford; will he state the net valuation put upon the holdings by their inspector, which Messrs. Daly, Nally, etc., have agreed to resell to the Commission; and whether it is the intention of the Commission to make an offer founded on this valuation to the freehold tenants in question?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo decision as to the resale by the Estates Commissioners of the lands will be come to until they acquire them. They have had a further inspection of the lands, and are intimating to the owner the sum they would be prepared to advance under the Land Purchase Acts for the lands if sold to them for the purposes of distribution, and provided their requirements as to title and other matters are complied with.
§ Mr. FARRELLWill the right hon. Gentleman be able to supply me with the figures of this case?
§ Mr. BIRRELLWell, I do not know how far the Estates Commissioners would approve of me doing so.
§ Mr. FARRELLWill the right hon. Gentleman ask them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLYes.
§ 22. Mr. DORISasked if he can state whether William Fitzgerald of Island-eady, Castlebar, was at any time a yearly tenant or herd on the estate of the late Sir Roger Palmer, county Mayo, which has been acquired by the Congested Districts Board; and, if not, upon what grounds or by what authority the Board propose to vest in William Fitzgerald about 50 acres of untenanted land whilst there are 300 tenants of uneconomic holdings in the neighbourhood for whom the Board will find it impossible to provide the enlargements to which they are entitled?
§ Mr. BIRRELLWilliam Fitzgerald and his brother held a joint tenancy in a holding on this estate. He resides on the holding, and his brother resides on a holding on another estate. The Congested 1105 Districts Board decided to sell to William Fitzgerald a portion of the holding, comprising about 50 acres, in consideration of his giving up possession of the land he held. He agreed to the terms, but, as his brother declined to give possession of the portion held by him, legal proceedings have been taken to obtain possession of the entire holding. When possession has been obtained the Board intend to give William Fitzgerald the portion of the holding as pointed out to him on the terms proposed.
§ 25. Mr. BOLANDasked whether negotiations for the purchase of the estate of the Knight of Kerry, on Valentia Island, have yet been concluded?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe offer of the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of this estate has been accepted.
§ 26. Mr. DORISasked whether an agreement has yet been arrived at between the Congested Districts Board and the Marquess of Sligo as to the sale of his estate in county Mayo?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board at their meeting on the 17th instant concluded a provisional agreement with Lord Sligo for the purchase of his estate.
§ 28. Mr. GINNELLasked whether the Talbot estate, Westmeath, offered for sale in 1905, is still unsold, through no fault of the tenants, and that every half-year adds to their payments for their holdings without becoming purchasers or acquiring a certainty of ever becoming purchasers; if he will say on what date the Commissioners made an offer for the estate; the amount of the offer; whether it included the non-residential grass farm; whether the offer was the value of the landlord's interest or the amount for which the whole property was security, ascertained by competent inspection; whether he is aware that it is on account of the Land Bill introduced last Session that the vendors of this estate broke off negotiations and are holding up the sale; under what Statute the Commissioners allow vendors to abuse the rules of procedure, speculate in future legislation, and impose burdens on tenants who have complied with every requirement of the law; and, having caused the deadlock in this case, whether he will take any action to relieve it?
§ Mr. BIRRELLFormal proceedings for the sale of this estate to the Estates Commissioners under the Land Purchase Acts were instituted in December, 1908, and the 1106 offer of the Commissioners to purchase the property was issued in April last. The vendors, who are trustees, have informed the Commissioners that, having regard to the price of Land Stock in which the purchase money would be payable under the Irish Land Act, 1909, they could not see their way to accept the offer and had been advised to await the passing of any further land legislation, and the Commissioners have no power to take any further action in the matter at present.