§ Mr. STEPHEN GWYNNEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the tenants on the Erasmus Smith Schools estate at Renmure, Galway 47W city, agreed in 1908 to purchase their holdings on the undertaking that Mr. T. W. Lynch should surrender part of his holding on the same estate for division in order to enlarge the uneconomic holdings of these tenants; whether Mr. Lynch is still willing to stand by this agreement; and whether any steps have been taken by the Estates Commissioners to carry through this sale and to effect enlargement of the holdings?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners are informed by the solicitors having carriage of the sale of this estate that no promise whatever was made to the tenants in consideration of their signing their purchase agreements that portion of Mr. Lynch's farm would be taken up for distribution amongst the tenants, but they understand that Mr. Lynch is prepared to consider the surrender of a portion of his land on equitable conditions for this purpose if the Commissioners require him to do so. This estate has not been reached by the Commissioners in order of priority on the principal register of direct sales (all cash) to be dealt with, but when so reached the matter will be considered by them.
§ Mr. DORISasked whether the Congested Districts Board have yet issued final offers to Mr. Richard Gibbons for his estates in Westport and Castlebar unions, county Mayo, or when they propose to do so?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have not issued final offers to Mr. Richard Gibbons for his estates in the Westport and Castlebar unions. The Board are not at present in a position to state when they may do so.
§ Mr. DORISasked the Chief Secretary what steps, if any, the Congested Districts Board have taken to acquire the estate of R. W. Livingstone, at Fairhill, Islandeady, county Mayo; has the landlord expressed his willingness to sell the estate through the Board; and whether, having regard to the number of uneconomic holdings on the estate, the average value of which is under £3 10s., while it contains sufficient grazing lands to relieve the congestion, he will ask the Board to acquire the estate as soon as possible?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe owner of this estate has expressed his willingness to lodge the necessary maps and documents with a view to an inspection and valuation of his48W estate. The Congested Districts Board consider the property a suitable one to be acquired, and negotiations are proceeding.
§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary precisely the terms of purchase of the estate of General Kelly Kenny, West Clare; whether the tenants are now asked by the Congested Districts Board to pay arrears as well as current rents; and whether, in view of the difficult conditions forced upon the tenants, the Congested Districts Board will give relief in this matter and proceed to settle the whole business without unnecessary delay?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe holdings on the estate referred to were purchased by the Congested Districts Board at different prices. Holdings requiring no alteration or improvement prior to resale were purchased at the following prices:—Holdings held at judicial rents fixed or agreed to before 14th August, 1896, at an average of 19 years' purchase; those held at judicial rents fixed or agreed to on or since that date at an average of 20 years' purchase; yearly tenancies at an average of 15 years' purchase; and leaseholds at 20 years' purchase. Pending the resale of their holdings, the tenants are required to pay rent to the Board in respect of the period from which the Board pay the vendor interest on the purchase money; but, until the estate is vested, receipts for payments made are only given up to the gale day to which such payments legally discharge the rents. On the sale of the holdings all arrears due, after allowing for payments made as above, are liquidated by making additions to the sale prices of the holdings, such additions in no case exceeding one year's rent.
§ Mr. JOHN O'CONNORasked the Chief Secretary whether any and, if so, what steps have been taken by the Estates Commissioners to purchase the Dobb estate at or near Donadea, county Kildare; is he aware that ninety out of 130 of the holdings on the said estate are uneconomic; and that there is an abundance of untenanted land available in the district which may be acquired by the Commissioners for the relief of the congestion on the Dobb estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe owner has not instituted formal proceedings before the Estates Commissioners for the sale of this estate under the Land Purchase Acts, but at their request he has supplied them with a map and other particulars, and they have 49W had a preliminary inspection made. From the particulars before them there would appear to be 107 out of 160 holdings with a Poor Law valuation or rent of £7 or under. The Commissioners are at present in negotiation for the purchase of untenanted land in the neighbourhood which, if acquired, will be utilised for the relief of congestion on this estate.
§ Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary the present position of the negotiations between the Congested Districts Board and the following landowners in Erris, county Mayo: Messrs. H. H. Shaen Bingham, Arthur Bingham, and J. M. Coyne; have the Congested Districts Board made offers for these estates; and to what cause the delay in completing the sales is due?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have not yet made offers for the purchase of the estates of Mr. H. H. S. Bingham and Mr. A. S. Bingham, but they have decided to do so, and the offers will be issued as soon as practicable. An offer for purchase of Mr. J. M. Coyne's estate has been issued, and the Board are in correspondence with the agent regarding it. There has been no avoidable delay in dealing with these properties.
§ Mr. D. BOYLEasked what is the present position in regard to the sale of the Kirkwood estate, Erris, county Mayo, to the Congested Districts Board; when was the Board's last offer made; if refused, on what grounds; and if negotiations have since been reopened?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAn offer for the purchase of the estate of Mr. H. M. Kirkwood was issued by the Congested Districts Board on the 6th March, 1913, and was not accepted as the price was considered inadequate. Negotiations have not since been reopened.
§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary whether, in reference to the case of James Keane, Monmore, on the Vandeleur estate, West Clare, what report Mr. Linehan, inspector under the Estates Commissioners, sent in with regard to the valuation of the holding; whether he is aware that instances can be cited where inspectors have fixed prices in the case of judicial tenants; and whether it is proposed to give James Keane some relief from the rents for which he is liable?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe reports of inspectors are confidential documents for the in-50W formation of the Estates Commissioners, and it would be contrary to their practice to comply with the request contained in the first part of the question. As the hon. Member has already been informed, this estate is the subject of proceedings for sale by the owner direct to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and the question of the price of Keane's holding is a matter of arrangement between the parties and not for the Commissioners. Section 1 of that Act provides that if the price of a judicial holding falls within the zonal limits mentioned in that section it is security for such price. In some cases of judicial holdings where the parties failed to agree as to price, the Commissioners at the request of the owner suggested a price, but they cannot compel the owner to sell at such a price or the tenants to purchase at it. As regards the concluding portion of the question, the Commissioners have no power to interfere with the owner's legal power to collect rent due to him.
§ Mr. D. BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary the cause of the delay in having the Arran estate, county Mayo, vested in the tenants; if he is aware that this delay involves the tenants in considerably larger annual payments in interest than if the estate was vested; and when the conveyance to the tenants is expected to be carried through?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis property is being dealt with as rapidly as practicable by the Estates Commissioners, and they hope their arrangements for resale will be completed at an early date, when the holdings will be vested in the purchasing tenants. Meanwhile, under the terms of their purchase undertakings, these tenants are liable for interest in lieu of rent, which gives them a considerable reduction in the rent which would otherwise be payable by them.
§ Mr. D. BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary what steps have been taken or are under consideration by the Congested Districts Board, since acquiring the Captain Clive estate, Ballycroy, to effect urgently necessary improvements thereon; if he is aware that the housing accommodation is of the most primitive and wretched character, and that frequent applications have been made by the tenants to have these works of improvement started; and when the Board hope to make such start?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLThe carrying out of improvement works on the estate of Captain Clive has not yet been undertaken. The housing accommodation for the entire district needs much improvement, but the Board are not aware that the houses on this estate are exceptionally bad. A few applications have been received by tenants with respect to improvements, and the Congested Districts Board hope to be in a position to deal with the estate during the coming financial year.
§ Mr. DORISasked the Chief Secretary upon what terms the Congested Districts Board have acquired the estate of Mr. Roche-Kelly, near Newport, county Mayo?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board inform me that the price given for the estate referred to was an average of seventeen years' purchase of the unabated rents of first-term tenancies, and an average of twelve years' purchase of the unabated rents of yearly tenancies, or an average of twenty years' purchase of the unabated rents.
§ Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary whether, in regard to the estate of W. F. Crowe, at Salus, West Clare, any irregularity has occurred with respect to the distribution of the holdings; whether the estate is being dealt with under the provisions of the Land Act of 1909; and, if so, what is the present state of the proceedings?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners and the Congested Districts Board are unable, from the particulars furnished, to identify the estate referred to as the subject of proceedings for sale before them under the Irish Land Acts.