30. Colonel NEWMANasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, having regard to the fact that £7,000,000 was voted recently by the Dail for the compensation of injuries to persons and property in the Irish Free State, he has been able to ascertain whether the awards of the Wood-Renton Commission, as published in the "Dublin Gazette" up to the end of May of this year, have yet been met?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORENo, Sir; the awards gazetted up to the end of May have not yet been fully met. I have recently had the advantage of a discussion on this subject with members of the Free State Government, and I hope to have an opportunity of making a statement when the Colonial Office Vote is under discussion in the House.
§ Sir W. DAVISONHas not the hon. Gentleman repeatedly told us that they would be paid by the beginning of July, and how is it that a further delay has now occurred?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThat would take me some time to explain. I was over in Dublin on Saturday, and went through the machinery of the various Commissions, and I should have something to say on that.
Colonel NEWMANIs the statement in the first part of my question, that £7,000,000 has been voted, correct, and, if so, why have not the awards been met?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIt has been voted, but it was suddenly found that it was not at present to the credit of the Government of Ireland.
31. Colonel NEWMANasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that, with the consent of the British Government, the Wood-Renton Commission have imposed a rebuilding Clause in the majority of the awards which they have hitherto made; that in the Land Purchase Bill which is now passing through the Dail the Free State Government is taking power to take over any land; and, since this power, if exercised, would render the rebuilding of his house by the owner of demesne or untenanted land useless where the Free State Government intend to exercise their right of acquisition, will he use his endeavours to have the rebuilding Clause struck out and the sum allowed for in the price at which the land in question is being acquired from the present owner?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIn reply to the first part of the question, while it is the case that the Wood-Renton Commission has attached a reinstatement condition to a considerable proportion of the awards made by them in respect of the destruction of or injury to buildings, I understand that, generally speaking, the condition is attached only to a portion, and in very many cases to a small portion, of the award. In reply to the second part, Clause 21 (3) empowers the Land Commission to acquire, by agreement or at a fair valuation, and subject to an appeal to the judicial Commissioner, land such as park or demesne land, which is normally excepted from the operation of the Bill, in cases where they certify that such land 909 is required for the purpose of relieving congestion. In reply to the third part, if it should happen that, in pursuance of this provision, the Land Commission should certify that they require demesne or untenanted land on which is situated a building in respect of which an award of compensation subject to reinstatement has been issued, then I am advised that such an award, whether or not the condition has been carried out, is an obvious element in the fair valuation of the land, and the effect of such acquisition by the Land Commission, therefore, will be that the cash value of the award is added to the purchase price of the land. In these circumstances, the object desired by the hon. and gallant Member would appear already attained, and I see no ground for any further action in the matter. I may say that when I was in Dublin I brought this question to the notice of the Free State Government, and received that assurance from them.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREYes, any award which the Wood-Renton Commission make for cash will be paid in cash.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERHas the British Parliament ever sanctioned forcing men who have been driven out of Ireland through terror of their lives to spend money on rebuilding houses which they can never occupy?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is an argument.
§ 33. Sir W. DAVISONasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can now inform the House why the defended decrees obtained between January, 1919, and July, 1921, in the cases of H. V. Macnamara, Edith Macnamara, W. W. Manning, John Smyth, and Orlando Osborne, have not been paid by the Irish Free State Government as agreed with the British Government; how many defended decrees were obtained during the period mentioned; and what total amount is still unpaid?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI have asked for the information desired by the hon. Member, and hope to be able to give it to him at an early date.
§ Sir W. DAVISONIs the hon. Gentleman aware that I sent him this informa- 910 tion nearly five months ago, and reminded him of the matter nearly a month ago, and that these unfortunate people, most of whom are in very poor circumstances, have not yet been paid?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI am aware that my hon. Friend sent the information to me as he states, and I wrote that very afternoon in regard to these cases, and have also sent reminders, but I have not yet received any reply.
§ Sir W. DAVISONCould the hon. Gentleman answer the last part of the question, as to what total amount is still unpaid, having regard to the fact that it was agreed between the British Government and the Irish Free State that all defended decrees would be paid?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREI understand that in every case these amounts are small—under £100 each—but the delay, I agree, is unsatisfactory.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONDoes not the British Government guarantee the claims before 1921; and, further, does not the hon. Gentleman realise that, even though these amounts may be small, they are all-important to these people, and will he see that this compensation is paid?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORECertainly; we are doing our best. If they were in this country, we could make advances to them through the Irish Grants Committee, but I believe these people are still in Ireland, and, therefore, that machinery cannot be utilised. I am confident, as the result of my going over there, that the machinery will be improved. It is very largely a question of machinery.