§ 26. Mr. DONNELLYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland why the Irish Land Commission has not exercised its powers to any extent of carrying through purchases of estates and town lands coming within the provisions of Section 20 of the Irish Land Act of 1909?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONDuring the War the cash available for land purchase has been necessarily limited, and has been applied in payment of estates as reached in their order of priority and in respect of which purchase agreements have been entered into. In dealing with these cases the Estates Commissioners have, where they considered it desirable, applied the provisions of the Section referred to by my hon. Friend.
§ 27. Mr. DONNELLYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that a number of estates purchased under the Irish Land Purchase Acts, where the vendors agreed to take payment in cash only, are being unduly delayed in completion, to the loss of the vendors and the purchasing tenants; and what steps he proposes to take to have the sales of those estates completed?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONEstates pending for sale under the Land Purchase Acts are dealt with in their order of priority under the Regulations made under Section 4 of the Irish Land Act, 1909. During the War the funds for land purchase have been necessarily limited, but it is hoped that increased funds will be available on the conclusion of peace.
§ Mr. DONNELLYWill the right hon. Gentleman agree to an inquiry into some cases to which I could draw his attention where there has been undue delay?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONCertainly.
§ 28. Mr. DONNELLYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to a speech delivered by Mr. H. T. Barrie at Limavady, on the 24th February, in which that gentleman said that the completion of Irish land purchase was one of the immediately pressing problems, and with a little pressure he thought there should be no difficulty in bringing in the Irish Convention purchase scheme as one of the schemes that should form part of any well thought-out system of Irish reconstruction; and whether, having regard to the fact that Mr. Barrie is Vice-President of the Irish Department of Agriculture and a member of the Government, this statement represents the view of the Government on this vital Irish question?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONMy attention has been called to the speech. My hon. Friend has informed me that the speech only expresses his personal view, and that this was made quite clear by him.
§ Captain REDMONDDoes the right hon. Gentleman consider it a proper thing for a respected Member of this House, who has been appointed to a Government position, to speak in his personal capacity about a matter of national importance?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI cannot pass any personal comment upon that.
§ Captain REDMONDMay I further ask whether the Gentleman referred to in this question is not more intimately connected with potatoes than with politics?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONAll that I know is that he is an extremely efficient Civil servant.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHYou do not know yet.