§ Mr. DORISasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that Mr. Richard Gibbons, justice of the peace, Westport, holds a. grazing farm of 340 acres on the Phibbs estate, near Turlough, county Mayo; that Mr. John Moran, justice of the peace, Parke, holds a grazing farm of about 100 acres at Frankspark, on the Fitzgerald estate; Mr. Albert Beckett, Moyhenna, about 70 acres, and Mr. Michael Connor, Moyhenna, two evicted farms of 7 and 20 acres, respectively; that all these holdings are non-residential and are not under tillage; that congestion exists on the Fitzgerald estate, and that in the immediate neighbourhood of these farms there are twenty-three tenants the average valuation of whose holdings is under £4 5s.; how long the Congested Districts Board have been in possession of the, Fitzgerald estate; and what steps, if any, the Board have taken to acquire the non-residential grazing farms referred to for the purpose of relieving the congestion and increasing the fond production of the district?
§ Mr. DUKEThe Congested Districts Board are not aware that Mr. Richard Gibbons holds a grazing farm on the Phibbs estate, near Turlough, county Mayo, and he is not a tenant to the Board of any such farm. Possibly the farm referred to may be one which Mr. Gibbons holds as a tenant purchaser. The only holdings of Mr. John Moran on the Fitzgerald estate purchased by the Hoard are three judicial tenancies in the townland of Gortnafolla, held at rents of £15 6s. £3 12s. 3d., and £l 9s. 9d. He does not hold any Farm from the Congested Districts Board under a grazing letting, and the Board are unable to identify the lands referred To. Negotiations took place some time ago with Mr. Beckett, of Moyhenna, for the surrender or exchange of the lands on the Fitzgerald estate in his possession, but, owing to the conditions stipulated by him, they were abandoned. Mr. Michael Connor, of Moyhenna, has only one holding on the. Fitzgerald estate, held tinder a judicial tenancy at a rent of £15.
568WIf any of the persons mentioned do not arrange for the tillage of the necessary proportion of their holdings, the Department of Agriculture have power to deal with the matter. There are a large number of congested holdings on the Fitzgerald estate, but the Congested Districts Board cannot for the purpose of relieving congestion acquire land to which their statutory powers do not apply. The Fitzgerald estate was vested in the Board in March, 1915. As regards the last part of the question, Mr. Gibbons has no farm on the Phibbs estate purchased by the Board, and they have no power to take up the lands in the neighbourhood which he holds as a tenant purchaser. The Board have taken no steps to acquire any of the lands of Mr. Moran or Mr. Conner. They have been in negotiation with Mr. Beckett, but have failed to come to terms.