§ 9. Mr. P. MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that landlords of agricultural holdings in Ireland are demanding increased rents from the tenants, and on some estates, such as the De Vesci estate, the landlord has actually served notices to have the rents raised through the medium of the Land Court; and whether he will fake steps to prevent rents of agricultural holdings in Ireland being raised during the period of the War through the operation of the Land Court or otherwise?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Duke)The landlord of a holding to which the Land Law Acts apply is entitled under Section 8 of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881, to apply to the Court subject to the provisions of that Section for an Order fixing a fair rent to be paid by the tenant of such holding. There are fifty applications of this nature at present pending for hearing before the Land Commission, some of which are on the estate of Lord De Vesci. The notices mentioned in the question are, I am told, notices for the purpose of raising the question for judicial decision. The cases are at present sub judice.