§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked the Chief Secretary with reference to the inspection of the Dundrum (county Down) estate of the Marquess of Downshire, whether he is aware that if Peter M'Cann, Ellen Byrne, William M'Mullan, and the representatives of Hugh Dumigan had purchased under the Irish Land Act, 1903, at the inspector's prices they would have received 4s. in the reduction, but under the Act of 1909 would only receive approximately 2s. 10d. reduction; if regard was had to the altered rate of annuity under the later Act, whether the Estates Commissioners can state what would have been the price if the annuity had been 3¼ per cent. instead of, as now, 3½ per cent.; what regard was had to the altered rate; whether, as the purchase money will be payable in Guaranteed Three Per Cent. Stock and not in cash, they will state if this difference affected the consideration of the prices reported on the holdings, and if the payment in stock instead of cash had any effect on the Estates Commissioners' inspector in fixing prices; whether, if the Estates Commissioners' inspector, in the case of Patrick M'Clinton, or M'Clymont, had regard to the fact that when the lands were vested in the occupier, Welymont, as owner, would be liable for the 110keen and maintenance of the drain or culvert-, the Commissioners will state what price the inspector reported as fair and equitable for the holdings of Patrick M'Clymont liable to this maintenance; what would be the consequent reduction in the £; and what allowance, if any, in price was made the said Patrick M'Clymont in respect of the future maintenance of said drain and culvert or how regard was shown to the shifting of the onus of maintenance?
§ Mr. BIRRELLPurchase agreements were not signed by the tenants referred to by the date (15th September, 1909) mentioned in Section 13(a) of the Act of 1909, and the question of the purchase by these tenants under the provisions of the Act of 1903 does not therefore arise, as agreements signed and lodged with the Land Commission subsequent to that date are subject to the 3½ per cent. annuity rate prescribed by the Act of 1909. In fixing 602W the prices in these cases, the Estates Commissioners had regard to the fact that the annuities would be at this 3½ per cent. rate, and the fact that the vendor would be paid in stock under the Act of 1909 and not in cash did not affect the prices fixed by the Commissioners. Agreements signed by McCann, Byrne, McMullan, and Dumigan for the purchase of their holdings at prices agreed upon between the parties have been lodged with the Commissioners, and as such prices do not exceed those estimated by the Commissioners the sums so agreed on will be advanced and the holdings vested in the purchasers in due course. As regards the latter part of the question, the Commissioners' estimated the price of McLymont's holding at £551, which would give him a reduction of about 3s. 4d. in the £. As the hon. Member has already been informed in reply to his question of 6th May, the drain and culvert referred to were examined by the inspector who visited the lands, and in estimating the sums which might be advanced under the Land Purchase Acts he had regard to the fact that when the lands are vested in the occupiers they will, as owners, be liable for the upkeep and maintenance of the drain and culvert.
§ Mr. DORISasked whether the Congested Districts Board have yet issued an offer for purchase of the congested estate of H. Blake-Knox, in the parishes of Kildacomogue and Straid, county Mayo; and, if so, with what result?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have issued an offer for the purchase of this property which has not, so far, been accepted.
§ Mr. DORISasked whether the Congested Districts Board have yet issued offers for the purchases of the Phibbs Irwin estate (in lunacy), Parke, Turlough, and the Hunter estate, Turlough, county Mayo; and when the Board hope to acquire those congested estates?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have not yet issued offers for the purchase of either of the estates referred to, and they cannot say when they are likely to acquire them.
§ Mr. DORISasked whether the Congested Districts Board have yet made an offer for the purchase of the D'Arcy estate, in Turlough and Breaffy, county Mayo; and, if so, with what result?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board hope to make an offer for the purchase of this property at an early date.
§ Mr. BOLANDasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that, owing to the delay of the Commissioners in undertaking the inspection of holdings on the O'Donoghue estate, near Glenbeigh, Michael Clifford, now residing at Droum, Glenbeigh, did not sign a purchase agreement; that he approached the agent twelve months before he sold his holding and was advised by the agent to wait until the holding was inspected; and, in view of the fact that he has now been processed for the payment of arrears previous to 1908, and that he paid the old rent in full for the years 1910, 1911, and 1912, previous to selling his holding, what steps, if any, will be taken to secure that he is not compelled to pay these arrears?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNeither the Estates Commissioners nor myself understand this question, but if the hon. Member will explain what this man's position is at present I will have further inquiry made.
§ Mr. DORISasked whether the Congested Districts Board have yet come to terms with Mr. D. G. FitzGerald, Turlough, county Mayo, as to the grazing farms or untenanted lands to be included in the sale of his congested estate; whether an offer for the purchase of the estate has been issued by the Board; and, if not, when approximately such offer will be issued?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board are at present in negotiation with Mr. D. G. FitzGerald as to the untenanted lands to be included in the sale of his estate to the Board. Pending the conclusion of these negotiations, an offer cannot be issued.
§ Mr. DORISasked the Chief Secretary whether the trustees of the Achill Mission estate, county Mayo, have yet either consented or refused definitely to sell the estate through the Congested Districts Board; is he aware that owing to the congested state of the islanders, their poverty, and the insanitary condition of many of their houses, these people have the strongest possible claim for relief under the Land Act of 1909; and can he explain why no such relief has yet been extended to them although the Act has been four years in operation?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLI am not at present in a position to add anything to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member's question on this subject on the 17th April.
§ Mr. DORISasked the Chief Secretary whether the tenants of uneconomic holdings in Rockfield and Dooncastle, county Mayo, on the Lucan estate, purchased by the Congested Districts Board about ten years ago, are still living in the dilapidated houses and on the rundale patches of land which they occupied at the time of the sale; that a majority of the tenants deny that they were offered additions to their holdings; is he aware that some of the tenants offered to migrate if economic holdings were provided for them elsewhere; and can he state, approximately, when the relief intended for such poor people by the Land Acts of 1903 and 1909 will be extended to them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board inform me that the holdings in Rockfield have not been altered since purchased by the Board as there was no untenanted land available to enlarge any of the holdings, and none of the tenants would migrate. A scheme of rearrangement of holdings in Dooncastle, which included the addition of a small holding from which a tenant migrated, was twice proposed to the tenants and refused by them. As it was not found possible to carry out any rearrangement of holdings no improvement works were executed, except the construction of a main drain. Some adjacent grass lands on the Palmer estate have been recently purchased by the Board but are not yet vested in them. When the Board are legal owners they will distribute these grass lands, but they will be obliged to give the benefit to tenants of congested holdings on the Palmer estate. A small portion, however, will be allotted to a few of the small tenants on the Lucan estates, whose holdings adjoin it.
§ Mr. DORISasked the Chief Secretary whether Mr. John Durcan, Turlough, has offered his congested estate at Cloontubrid, Turlough, county Mayo, for sale to the Congested Districts Board; and, if so, whether the grazing farm of 100 acres in Mr. Durcan's possession is included in the offer, or how the Board propose to relieve the congestion on the tenanted portion of the estate where the valuations of holdings range from £2 to £3?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLThe estate referred to has not been offered for sale through the Congested Districts Board.