§ Mr. KELLYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if the Estates Commissioners have recently endeavoured to take compulsorily any lands in the neighbourhood of Raphoe, county Donegal, for the purposes of the Evicted Tenants Act and have been defeated on such applications; whether certain untenanted lands adjoining the town of Raphoe have been inspected, almost two years ago, by one of their inspectors and the price practically agreed upon; whether these lands are still available; is the owner still willing to treat for the sale of the same on fair terms; and what has caused the delay in the negotiations?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have acquired portion of the lands of Leaght, in the Barony of Raphoe South, under the provisions of the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907. They instituted proceedings under the same Act for the acquisition of portion of the lands of Carrick-brack and Maherahee, but the owner having filed objections, it was decided after full consideration that the lands could not be' acquired compulsorily. They also proposed to acquire compulsorily the 1531W lands of Ballyboe, but found that they were held under a fee farm grant and could not be so acquired. That difficulty having been removed by the Irish Land Act, 1909, the Commissioners have published in the "Dublin Gazette" a notice of their intention to acquire the lands, but objections have been filed by the owner and have not yet been determined.