EARL of KERRYasked the Chief Secretary if he could state approximately what proportion of the land of Ireland had been inspected and passed by the Estates Commissioners for the purpose of land purchase?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that it is estimated that the area of land in Ireland for the sale of which advances have been made under the Land Purchase Acts, 1870 to 1909, amounts to 6¼ million acres, and the area of land pending for sale under these Acts amounts to 4½ millions, making in all 10¾ million acres sold or pending for sale, and representing about four-sevenths of the agricultural land of Ireland.
§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary how many tenant purchasers of land 1186W in Ireland were, at the end of 1910, subject to the payment of interest in lieu of rent pending completion of purchase; what is the longest period during which any of these have been paying this interest; and can he now say in what order they will be relieved of his burden which is not in the agreements signed by them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Land Commission inform me that there were 157,295 tenant-purchasers who on 31st December last were paying interest in lieu of rent in cases where advances applied for had not then been made. In some instances the estates for sale have been pending since the year 1905. The agreements for purchase signed by the tenant-purchasers especially provided for the payment of the interest referred to. The order in which advances are made is governed by the provisions of Section 4 of the Irish Land Act, 1909, and the regulations made thereunder.
§ Mr. O'SHEEasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that in many of the cases of persons getting parcels of untenanted lands the Estates Commissioners have refused to make any grant for stock, or even for the building of fences to separate the parcels; and whether the Estates Commissioners have discretion to make grants for such purposes according to their judgment?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe making of grants to purchasers under the Land Purchase Acts for the purchase of stock or for improvements is a matter entirely within the discretion of the Estates Commissioners, who make such grants in any cases where they deem it expedient to do so.
§ Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked the Chief Secretary whether he will state what progress the Congested Districts Board have made in the purchasing of the White estate, Newtown Manor, county Leitrim; when will the waste lands be divided; and will there be a stay put on proceedings against tenants for recovery of arrears of rent pending the completion of sale and purchase?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board inform me that an order has been made by the land judge accepting the Board's offer for the untenanted lands on the estate referred to. A contract has been made with the owners for sale to the Board of the tenanted land through the Land Commission. In the meantime the tenants will be required to pay rents as 1187W usual. No arrangements can be made for the distribution of the grass lands before the estate is vested in the Board.
§ Mr. O'DOWDasked what steps, if any, the Estates Commissioners and Congested Districts Board intend to take in order to prevent the cutting of woods on estates acquired by them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that where estates, the subject of proceedings for sale before them, contain woods which it is desirable to preserve, the inspector calls attention to them in his report, and the matter is then brought under the notice of the Department of Agriculture, or the county or rural district council, with a view to their purchasing the woods under Sections 4 and 20 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, and Section 18 of the Irish Land Act, 1909. Section 32 (1) (b) (2) of the latter Act also provides for the preservation of timber on holdings sold, or agreed to be sold, since the passing of that Act. The Congested Districts Board take all steps they deem necessary for the preservation of woods and plantations on estates acquired by them.
§ Mr. SHEEHANasked whether the large tract of grazing land at Rathregan, in the parish of Batterstown, union of Dunshaughlin, county Meath, being a portion of the Athlumney estate, has been disposed of by the Estates Commissioners to purchasers under the Act of 1903; whether Anthony Allen, who is the tenant of this grazing ranch, has obtained an advance under the Act of 1903, and, if so, what is the amount; if Anthony Allen has not obtained an advance for the purpose of purchasing these lands, or if the same have not been sold direct to the Estates Commissioners, who are the purchasing tenants of this farm; and whether it has been ascertained that the purchasing tenants are genuine tenants or if they were merely created for the purpose of practising fraud on the Treasury?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that the estate referred to is not being sold to the Commissioners but direct by the landlord under the Irish Land Act, 1903. The Commissioners have refused to make the advances applied for by Anthony Allen and the Messrs. Wallis, who hold the lands of Rathregan as judicial tenants. Allen appears to have already obtained an advance of £5,162 for the purchase of other lands under the Land Purchase Acts.
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§ Mr. SHEEHANasked the Chief Secretary if he can explain the delay in vesting the Franklin Baldwin estate, at Crossmahon, Lissarda, and Tarelton, county Cork, in the tenants, seeing that other estates in the county purchased about the same time have already been vested; and when does he expect the money to be advanced for the purchase of this estate?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that the estate referred to will be dealt with in order of priority-Having regard to its position on the principal register of Direct Sales and the claims of other estates in priority to it the Commissioners are unable at present to say when its turn will be reached, but when so reached it will be dealt with as rapidly as possible.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked the Chief Secretary whether the Congested Districts Board have received applications for the purchase of the estate of the representatives of the late W. F. Gilchrist, St. John's, Sligo; whether the Board have entered into negotiations with the proprietors; and when the sale is likely to be carried out?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board inform me that they have received an application in connection with the late W. F. Gilchrist's estate, county Sligo, and have communicated with the representatives of the owner, who, however, have not so far signified an intention to sell the estate.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked what steps have been taken by the Congested Districts Board to acquire for the purposes of the Land Act of 1909 the Middleton estate, Boss's Point, county Sligo?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have communicated with the agent of the Middleton estate, county Sligo, asking whether the owner is willing to negotiate for sale of his property, but no reply has been received.