§ Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, how many estates have been acquired compulsorily under the Land Act of 1909 within the congested districts counties and outside them, respectively.
§ Mr. BIRRELLAs regards the action of the Estates Commissioners, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the question on this subject of the hon. Member for North Westmeath on the 20th instant. The Congested Districts Board have not compulsorily acquired any estates under the Irish Land Act, 1909.
§ Mr. HACKETTasked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the amount payable in respect of advances under the Labourers Acts, made prior to the 31st March, 1907, for the year ending 31st March, 1908, by the following rural district councils: Thurles, Roscrea (No. 1), and Cashel; and whether he can state to what amount the annual payment in respect of such advances has been reduced in the case of each rural district council by the operation of The Public Works Loans Act, 1907?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe folloying statement gives the information required:—
Rural District Council Amount payable in the year ended 31st March. 1908. Annual payment as reduced under Public Works Loans Act. 1907. £ s. d. £ s. d. Thurles 1,319 4 0 1,105 17 8 Roscrea No. 1. 251 5 9 222 5 0 Cashel 1,778 4 6 1,471 19 6
§ Mr. JOHN O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he will state what is the occupation of Messrs Charles Wallis, H S. Wallis, and A. Wallis, whose names are mentioned in connection with the purchase of the Rathregan grazing ranch in Batterstown, parish of Dunshaughlin union, county Meath, their respective addresses, the amount of land already held by them; whether they have ever been bonâ fide tenant farmers for whose benefit the Land Act of 1903 was passed; and, if so, what is the extent of land cultivated by them as bonâfide tenant farmers.
§ Mr. JOHN O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether the Rathregan grazing ranch, on the estate of Lord Athlumney, 2515W containing over 500 acres, in the Batters-town parish of the Dunshaughlin union, county Meath, has been sold under the Land Act of 1903; if so, to whom has the sale been made and what is the amount of the purchase money; whether he is aware that this ranch has been held on lease by Anthony Allan since 1877, and that in July, 1905, an agreement was entered into between Anthony Allan on the one part and Messrs. Charles Wallis, H. S. Wallis, A. Wallis, and Anthony Allan on the other part, by which the place was divided into four divisions; whether, in view of the fact that the purchase money of this holding would greatly exceed the amount which could be advanced under the Land Act, the subdivision of this ranch has been regarded by the Estates Commissioners as a bonâ fide transaction, or whether the lands were merely divided for the purpose of purchase and as an evasion of the provisions of the Act of 1903; and whether a full inquiry will be made into this transaction with a view to having justice done to small tenants who live in the vicinity of this ranch?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that the estate in question is being sold direct to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903. Purchase agreements have been lodged, amongst others, by Messrs. C. J. Wallis, H. S. Wallis (two agreements) and Anthony Allan, who are described as tenants in occupation, the advances applied for being respectively £5,450, £6,403, £5,186, and £5,411. The Commissioners are unable to say how much land is cultivated by them as tenant farmers. The advances have not yet been made, and the other matters referred to in the questions are at present under the consideration of the Commissioners.