8. Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESSasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many vendors of land in Ireland are still unpaid who sold their estates prior to the Purchase Act of 1909 on faith of payment in cash within a reasonable time, and what is the total sum involved and when it is intended to pay these vendors who, in many cases, have been waiting over 12 years for their money and complete the sales to their tenants who are paying interest on the purchase money at 3½ per cent? instead of terminable purchase annuities at 3¼ per cent?
§ Mr. HENRYThere are still pending for sale under the Irish Land Act, 1903, 1,230 estates in respect of which purchase agreements between landlords and tenants for cash were lodged prior to the Act of 1909, the total purchase money in these cases being £10,700,000. During the War advances under the Land Purchase Acts were necessarily restricted, but estates are now being dealt with more rapidly and advances in cash at the rate of about £3,000,000 per annum are being made at present in this class of sales.