§ Mr. GUINEYasked the Chief Secretary if he will ascertain from the Estates Commissioners what is the cause of the delay in acquiring the lands belonging to William N. Leader, Esq., D.L., Dromagh, county Cork, negotiations for the purchase of these lands having now gone on for upwards of four years?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that they are not prepared to purchase the lands at the sum required by the owner.
§ Mr. GUINEYasked the Chief Secretary whether he will ascertain from the Estates Commissioners what is the cause of the delay in acquiring the lands on the May-berry estate, near Kanturk, county Cork, from which the O'Connell family were evicted, seeing that these lands are in the owner's occupation and have been scheduled for compulsory acquirement for the past two years?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that they have made an offer under the Evicted Tenants Act for these lands, which has been accepted by the owner, and they hope to be in a position to distribute them at an early date. The lands could not be compulsorily acquired pending the change in the law effected by section 67 of the Irish Land Act, 1909.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked whether the Congested Districts Board have been requested to purchase by tenants in the locality the waste farm known as Doonflynn Lower, near Skreen, county Sligo, consisting of 130 acres or thereby; and whether the Board have allowed this farm or ranch to be sold to a bailiff, named Coulter, within the last few months, thereby defeating the claims of the tenants of uneconomic holdings in the neighbourhood to have their holdings enlarged?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board inform me that they received memorials from the tenants in the locality asking them to purchase the farm in question, and the Board have communicated with the landlord as to whether he was prepared to negotiate for a sale through them. The Board have no knowledge as to the alleged sale of the farm to a bailiff.