§ Mr. BOLANDasked when the Congested Districts Board will undertake the inspection of the estate of Mr. D. C. O'Connell, near Mastergeehy, county Kerry, with special reference to the holdings of the two tenants not included in the purchase agreements?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is at present being inspected, and the question of purchasing the two holdings referred to will be considered by the Congested Districts Board when their inspector's report has been received.
§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the delay in dealing with the Reeves estate, Killimer, West Clare; and whether, in view of the fact that it was the first estate of which the settlement under the Land Act of 1909 was undertaken by the Congested Districts Board, he will give assurance that the vesting orders will be issued without delay?
§ Mr. BIRRELLUnder the terms of purchase the Congested Districts Board will not obtain possession of the untenanted lands on this estate until the 5th March next. A scheme of striping has been prepared, and arrangements have been made to have the lands distributed and work commenced immediately possession is obtained. There has been no avoidable delay in dealing with the property.
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§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary (1) whether, in regard to the estate of the Marquess of Conyngham in and adjoining Kilkee, West Clare, he is aware that the majority of the tenants are congests of the most pronounced type, miserably housed on small patches of bog land; whether this estate will be compulsorily acquired under the Land Act of 1909 by the Congested Districts Board without further delay; (2) whether, in regard to the estate of the Marquess of Conyngham, West Clare, he is aware that in October, 1911, the landlord offered to sell the townlands of Kilfearagh, Druagh, and Kilkee Lower, but afterwards withdrew his offer in respect to Druagh and Kilkee Lower; whether the Congested Districts Board will take care that the whole estate is settled together; and whether, in view of there being thirty acres of untenanted land and one hundred acres of bog land on the estate, and that this land is required for the needs of the tenants, the Congested Districts Board will at once deal with this estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts board have no information regarding the estate referred to except that supplied by the solicitors for the tenants, or with reference to the proposed sale of the town-lands mentioned. The estate has not been offered for sale to the Board, and they do not propose to take steps to acquire it compulsorily pending the result of proceedings already instituted for the compulsory acquisition of some other estates in county Clare.
§ Mr. MEAGHERasked the Chief Secretary if he will give a return of the untenanted land on the Castlecomer, Wandesforde estate, which is now on the verge of sale; and whether he will recommend the Estates Commissioners to see that this untenanted land is divided amongst the uneconomic holders of land in that district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe untenanted land which the owner has not included in the sale consists almost entirely of woods and bog, and the Estates Commissioners do not propose to call upon the owner to include it in the lands which are the subject of direct sale proceedings before them under the Irish Land Act, 1903.
§ Mr. MEAGHERasked the Chief Secretary whether the people of Castlecomer forwarded a petition requesting the Estates Commissioners to include the town 1135W of Castlecomer in the sale of the Wandes-forde estate, and have signified their willingness, on behalf of the town tenants, to have the prices paid to Mr. Wandesforde such as will be fair and equitable to him and to the Estates Commissioners; and whether the Commissioners have taken any steps to accede to the wishes of the town tenants of Castlecomer?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners received the petition referred to, and, after full consideration, have decided that they will not call upon the owner to include the town holdings in Castlecomer in the estate which is the subject of direct sale proceedings by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903.
§ Mr. DORISasked what steps, if any, the Congested Districts Board have taken to acquire the congested estate of Mrs. Wright, situate at Clooneenmore and Knocknageera, Westport, county Mayo?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have been in communication with the owner's solicitor regarding this property. A further communication will now be addressed to him.
§ Mr. DORISasked whether the Congested Districts Board have yet taken steps to acquire the estate of Mr. Francis C. Garvey, of Murrisk Abbey, Westport; has the landlord intimated his willingness to sell the estate to the Board; and whether, having regard to the poverty and congestion of the tenants, the Board will endeavour to purchase the property without further delay?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board communicated twice with Mr. F. C. Garvey's agent regarding a sale, but no reply has been received. The Board do not at present propose to take steps to acquire the estate compulsorily.
§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary whether, in the case of the Mahon-Hogan estate, Lissy Casey, West Clare, of which the agent is Walter B. Butler, of Infield, Lancashire, he can state the reason for not providing bog for all the tenants who have applied for it, seeing that there are over 200 acres of turbary on the estate and some fifteen tenants who require bog; and whether, in view of the fact that the estate was lodged with the Estates Commissioners in 1906, he will take steps to ensure expedition?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLThis property was not sold to the Estates Commissioners, but was purchased by the tenants direct from the owner under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the holdings have been vested in accordance with the purchase agreements signed by the parties. The turbary on the property is situate on certain holdings, the tenants of which allowed those who had no turbary to cut turf on payment. Before the sale was completed, the Commissioners endeavoured to arrange for the allotment of the turbary, but the parties would not agree to terms, and it is understood that the arrangements which obtained before the sale are being continued.