§ 16. Mr. PATRICK MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland the present position of the negotiations for the purchase of the estate of Major Sweetman, Lamberton, Queen's County; and what steps have been taken up to the present relative to the same?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners furnished the owner with their esti- 617 mate of price for certain lands in his occupation. The owner could not see his way to accept the Commissioners' estimate, and they do not propose to take any further action in the matter.
§ 17. Mr. PATRICK MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many evicted tenants, or representatives of evicted tenants, received holdings on the Thompson estate, Queen's County; and if the Estates Commissioners will reconsider the question of giving a grant to Elizabeth M'Grath for the purchase of live stock and put her in a position to work the holding to the best advantage?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have provided sixteen evicted tenants, or the representatives of evicted tenants, with holdings on the estate referred to. The reply to the concluding part of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. KILBRIDEWhy have the Estates Commissioners or the inspectors of the Commissioners, differentiated between the case of Mrs. McGrath and others?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThey have to consider each case upon its own merits, and there must always be some differentiation.
§ 18. Mr. DELANYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that Mrs. Anne Fitzpatrick, Ballintaggart, Roscrea, who was evicted from the Owen's estate, Garryduff, Clough, Queen's County, was promised a farm by the Estates Commissioners; and seeing that a farm was pointed out to her on the Thompson estate, Kilcoke, by the late Inspector Byrne, on the 16th February last, which she accepted, and as this farm has since been handed over to another tenant from the county Wicklow, can he say what steps the Commissioners propose taking to provide Mrs. Fitzpatrick with a farm instead?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe hon. Member appears to be under a misapprehension. The Estates Commissioners inform me that Mrs. Anne Fitzpatrick had an interview in March last with their inspector, the late Mr. P. J. Byrne, and stated to him that her father, James Clear, had been evicted about thirty-five years ago from a holding of about sixteen acres on the Owen's estate, Queen's County. As no application for reinstatement was received from her before the date specified in the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, she does not come within the class of evicted tenants 618 for whom the Commissioners have power to provide holdings, and they do not therefore propose to take any action with reference to her case.