§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether searches directed by the Irish Land Commission under the Land Purchase Acts are made in the Registry of Deeds without charge; whether searches under the Labourers Act of 1906, and also searches directed by the solicitor to the Congested Districts Board are made without charge; will he state how many searches for these respective Departments were made since 1st January, 1904; and what was the amount of fees remitted in respect of such free searches?
Mr. McKINNON WOODThe answer to the first two parts of the question is yes. Searches made for the Irish Land Commission from 1st January, 1904, to 31st December, 1915, numbered 10,061 and fees remitted £23,000. Searches made under the Labourers Act, 1916, numbered 6,759 and fees remitted amounted to £5,890.1260W Searches made for Congested Districts Board numbered 637 and fees remitted amounted to £542.
§ Mr. P. WHITEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland at what date the Estates Commissioners vested their holding in the tenants who had purchased on the estate of Colonel Alexander Commons, of Garristown, county Dublin; whether the vendor received the purchase price through Judge Ross's Court; whether any deductions were made for drainage rate then due; if so, was it by order of the judge; and what were the terms of the order made?
§ Mr. DUKEThe holdings were vested in the purchasing tenants on the 13th October, 1910, 16th May, 1912, and 7th November, 1912. The purchase money was distributed by Mr. Justice Ross, sitting as Judicial Commissioner under the Land Purchase Acts. A reduction was not made for any arrears of drainage rate then due, the solicitors for the vendor undertaking to pay same.
§ Mr. WHITEasked the Chief Secretary whether it has been intimated to the Estates Commissioners that the vendor of untenanted land on the Nicholson estate, Balrath, county Meath, is anxious that it should be distributed this year to enlarge uneconomic holdings on the estate; whether, on account of the high prices of food, the expectant small holders have many times expressed their anxiety to get the additions to their holdings; if the Commissioners intimated last June that the lands would be divided this month; whether it is now proposed to postpone the division of the lands; and, if so, who is responsible for the delay, and what is the cause?
§ Mr. DUKEThis estate is the subject of proceedings before the Estates Commissioners for sale direct by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and in connection with the sale the Commissioners asked the vendor to sell certain untenanted lands in his occupation for enlarging holdings in the neighbourhood. The area and price of the lands to be sold to the Commissioners and the question of reserving for the owner means of access to the lands to be retained by him have been the subject of negotiations between them and the owner. The Commissioners expect that these matters will be arranged at an early date, but until the statutory requirements have been completed and the Commissioners become the owners of the lands 1261W they will not be in a position to deal with them. The Commissioners have not received from the owner any such intimation as that referred to in the question nor did they make any statement in June that the lands would be divided this month.
§ Mr. WHITEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what quantity of purchased but unallotted land is at present on the hands of the Estates Commissioners in county Meath?
§ Mr. DUKEThe Estates Commissioners have in the county of Meath some 800 acres of untenanted land exclusive of some woodlands and turbary not yet allotted, and arrangements are being completed for the allotment of 300 acres thereof at an early date
§ Mr. FARRELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will give a Return of the sums deducted from the local Grants to the Long ford County Council in respect of land purchase annuities not paid from the year 1899 to 1916; whether account was taken of the amounts recovered at law and otherwise from these defaulting tenants; whether such amounts were credited and refunded to the county council; how much they amounted to during the years under review; whether a sum of over £8,000 was so deducted and a sum of £750 only credited; and, if so, will he now undertake that the sum withheld over these years, with interest, be refunded at once to the county?
§ Mr. DUKEThe sums deducted from Grants payable to the Longford County Council during the period 1st April, 1898, to 31st March, 1916, in respect of land purchase liabilities amounted in all to £54,569 15s., and during the same period the repayments amounted to £49,355 4s. 5d. leaving a net deduction of £5,214 10s. 7d. The amounts deducted in respect of arrears of annuities were practically all paid up by the defaulting annuitants during the succeeding half-year, and credited to the County Guarantee Fund, but a fresh temporary arrear has arisen in respect of the new gale, and this state of things recurs from gale day to gale day.