§ Mr. MOLLOYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that Mr. Edward Connolly, registrar, Irish Land Commission, has received a request from his tenants to sell his estate near Clonegal, county Carlow, under the Land Purchase Acts; and, if so, with what result?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have no information in the matter. The estate is not the subject of proceedings under the Land Purchase Acts.
§ Mr. BOLANDasked what further action, if any, has been taken by the Congested Districts Board to complete the purchase of the Fuller estate, near Caherciveen; and whether any decision on the subject was reached at the last meeting of the Board?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have ordered an inspection of the property referred to before deciding whether they would consent to a direct sale. The property will be inspected and a decision arrived at as soon as practicable.
§ Mr. BOLANDasked whether the Estates Commissioners will take steps, before the Kenmare portion of the Lansdowne estate is finally disposed of, to arrange for the purchase of Mr. Daniel O' Sullivan's sub-tenancy at Cooraqueenish; and whether they will exercise the necessary powers which are vested in them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that when this estate is being dealt with in order of priority the cases of the sub-tenants on the estate will be considered by the Commissioners.
§ Mr. AUGUSTINE ROCHEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the estate of J. W. Barter, Record No. 3204, has yet been vested in the tenants; and, if not, will he explain the cause of the delay?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that the estate of J. W. Barter has not yet been vested in the tenants, the estate not having yet been reached in order of priority to be dealt with.
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§ Mr. AUGUSTINE ROCHEasked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board received a petition from the tenants on the Wilkinson estate, Dromboe, near Bantry, asking the Board to negotiate with the landlord with a view to the sale of the estate to the tenants; whether the Board has yet communicated with the landlord; if so, with what result; having regard to the fact that the practice of this landlord has been to serve the tenants with legal process the moment the rent becomes due with the object of putting them under as much costs as possible, will the Board take immediate steps to acquire the estate under the compulsory Clauses of the Land Act of 1909; and is he aware that in this estate, as soon as the tenants sent an offer of purchase to the landlord, there were legal proceedings taken against them for the recovery of the half-year's rent which fell due just at the date the offer of purchase was made to the landlord?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board, in May, 1910, received the petition referred to, and communicated with the owner inquiring whether he was prepared to negotiate for sale of the property through them. The vendor's solicitor replied, stating that Mrs. Wilkinson had no present intention of selling her property. The Board have no information regarding the legal proceedings referred to in the question. They do not intend to take steps at present to acquire the property under their compulsory powers.
§ Mr. AUGUSTINE ROCHEasked whether the Congested Districts Board was aware, before it gave its consent to the sale of the Levis estate, in Caheragh, West Cork, that there were on the estate evicted lands, and that the landlord admitted his brother, who is a wealthy merchant in Skibbereen, a tenant of the evicted farms, and has signed or is about to sign a purchase agreement for the same; is he aware that Mrs. Barrett, the widow of one of the evicted tenants, resides with her son in a house on the evicted lands, and that her son has been for a number of years caretaking the lands for the landlord; will the Congested Districts Board or the Estates Commissioners to whom Mrs. Barrett made applications for re-in-statement under the Evicted Tenants Act now see that Mrs. Barrett and her son are provided with a portion of those lands?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate was not a "congested" estate, and the consent of the Congested Districts Board to the purchase of it by the Estates Commissioners was not necessary. The question of dealing with evicted tenant by the Board does not arise on any estate which they do not buy. The Estates Commissioners received an application from Mrs. Barrett for reinstatement in a holding which she states was formely occupied by her late husband on the estate of the representatives of John S. Levis or George Levis, county Cork. As her application was not received within the period limited by the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907, it cannot be dealt with under that Act.
§ Mr. AUGUSTINE ROCHEasked whether the Congested Districts Board received petitions from the tenants on those portions of the Sir John Beecher estate, situate in the island of Cape Clear, and in the parish of Caheragh, in West Cork, asking the Board to purchase the estate; is the Board aware that this landlord has frequently stated that he would not sell his estate until compelled to do so by law; did the Board communicate with Sir John Beecher in consequence of the tenants' petition; and, if so, with what result; and will the Board now take the necessary steps to compel him to sell, and thus enable the people of Cape Clear and Caheragh to enjoy the benefits of land purchase?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have received memorials from the tenants of Sir John Beecher's estate, parish of Caheragh, asking them to purchase the property, in which it is stated that the owner has refused to sell to the tenants. No memorials have been received in regard to Cape Clear portion of the estate. The Board communicated with the owner regarding his estate in the parish of Caheragh, inquiring whether he desired to negotiate for the sale of his property through them, but no reply has so far been received. The Board are not prepared to take steps at present for the acquisition of this estate under their compulsory powers.
§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked when it is proposed to inspect the Leslie Wren estate, Castlemaine, county Kerry; and whether full inquiries will then be made as to the refusal of the landlord to allow Messrs. Cronin, Murphy, Flynn, and Wren, who are tenants on the estate, to sign purchase agreements?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question on this subject on 24th July, to which I have nothing to add.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked whether the Estates Commissioners have made any offer to purchase the untenanted lands at Robertstown, in the county of Limerick, on the Lewis property; and, if so, whether it has been accepted?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners are unable to identify these lands as the subject of proceedings for sale before them under the Land Purchase Acts.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked whether the Estates Commissioners have agreed to buy the untenanted lands at Morgans, parish of Robertstown, in the county of Limerick, the property of Mrs. Sandes; whether Mr. Commissioner Sogan visited the place some time ago with a view to purchase them; and, if so, what has been the result of his visit to the place?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners had an inspection made of these lands, and communicated to the owner their preliminary estimate of the amount which they would be prepared to advance for the lands if the owner instituted formal proceedings for sale to the Commissioners. This she did on the 30th June last, and the case will be dealt with in order of priority.