§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked the Secretary to the Treasury, as regards the amounts that have been deducted in respect of defaulting annuitants under the Land Purchase Acts from the Government grants payable to the Kerry County Council, when the annuities from such defaulting annuitants were being collected, why they are not transmitted to the county council monthly, or otherwise, instead of being lodged to the credit of the guarantee fund to meet future contingencies; and why the county council have been refused a list of the arears outstanding at the time the last deduction was made?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe deduction made from the Local Taxation Grants to a county in each year consists of the amounts chargeable against the county in respect of the arrears for that year less the amount of previous years arrears which have been recovered during the year. I see no reason for any change in this system. I am informed that it would not be practicable, and would serve no useful purpose, to furnish a list of defaulters at any given date. Arrears are paid by defaulters from day to day, and by the time a list for any given date could be prepared, many would have already paid, and the list would be out of date.
§ Mr. LONSDALEasked what has been the amount of advances made to the present date in Guaranteed Three per Cent. Stock by the Estates Commissioners since the passing of the Irish Land Act of 1909; and what is the number of estates and of purchasers in respect of which such advances have been made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that in sales direct from landlord to tenant advances amounting to £161,130 have been made in Guaranteed Three per Cent. stock since the passing of the Act of 1909. Those advances were made in respect of 484 holdings situate on 134 estates. In sales to the Estates Commissioners and under the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, advances amounting to £24,800 1663W have been made in Guaranteed Three per Cent. stock for the purchase of 106 holdings situate on ten estates.
§ Mr. O'DOWDasked whether the Congested Districts Board have entered into negotiations with Mr. John Woulfe Flanagan for the purchase of his estate, situate at Ross, near Boyle, county Sligo, which contains many small holdings and a large tract of untenanted land; and, if so, what has been the result of such negotiations?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNegotiations with the landlord of the estate referred to were opened by the Congested Districts Board on the 17th May, 1910, but owing to the illness of the landlord were suspended. The Board will at once resume negotiations.
§ Mr. LONSDALEasked the Chief Secretary if he will state for the whole of Ireland the number of tenants who agreed to purchase their holdings under the terms of the Land Act of 1903 from the commencement of that Act until the 15th September, 1909, with the total amount of the purchase money, and the average percentage of reduction from former rents represented by the annuity; and if he will also give corresponding particulars in respect of voluntary agreements under the terms of the Land Act of 1909?
§ Mr. BIRRELL224,503 purchase agreements in direct sales under the Irish Land Act, 1903, were lodged to the 15th September, 1909, representing a purchase money of £74,994,332, and 5,156 purchase agreements under the Irish Land Act, 1909, representing a purchase money of £1,523,288 have been lodged. The average percentage of reduction on all classes of rents as compared wth the annuities being respectively 27.2 and 28.6.
Mr. KELLYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether Dominick M'Menamin, of Ballinacor, Killy-gordon, county Donegal, was deprived of his pension on the report of a Local Government Board auditor; and, if so, what facts this gentleman investigated before making his report?
§ Mr. BIRRELLDominick M'Menamin produced no evidence that he had attained the statutory age, and the Local Government Board's inspector who visited him reported that, judging from his appearance, he would say that M'Menamin was certainly under seventy years of age.
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§ Mr. O'SHEEasked the Chief Secretary how many purchase agreements for holdings situate in the county Waterford have been lodged under the Irish Land Act, 1903, from 1st November, 1903, to 15th September, 1909, and from the latter date under the Irish Land Act of 1909 up to date; and what is the number of purchasing tenants, the total purchase money, and the average number of years' purchase?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that 3,397 purchase agreements at 3¼ per cent. annuities under the Irish Land Act, 1903, representing a purchase money of £1,710,494 for holdings situate in the county of Waterford, were lodged to 15th September, 1909, the average number of years' purchase of all classes of rents being 21.8. Thirty-two purchase agreements at 3½ per cent. annuities under the Irish Land Act, 1909, have been lodged, representing a purchase money of £7,893, the average number of years' purchase of all classes of rent being 17.6.
§ Mr. JAMES O'KELLYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that negotiations were opened in April, 1907, for the purchase of the holdings of the Carnamaddy tenants on the estate of Mr. Richard Hague, and that the purchase has not yet been brought to a con-elusion; and whther he will urge the Congested Districts Board to push on the negotiations with Mr. Hague with a view to the conclusion of the purchase?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNegotiations were not opened in April, 1907, for the purchase of the holdings on the estate referred to. In March, 1910, the Congested Districts Board received an application from the tenants asking them to purchase. The Board communicated with the agent, but he has not yet intimated the owner's willingness to sell. The Board will now ask the agent for a definite answer.