§ Mr. DELANYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that congestion exists in the district of Cullohill, Queen's county, and that adjacent to this congested area there are two grazing ranches of 1,100 acres, namely, one of 500 acres in the occupation of Messrs. Shirley and Ashmore, who hold 1,300 acres in the county of Carlow, and another of 600 acres in the occupation of a Mr. Young, who holds another large farm in an adjacent county; and can he say whether steps will be taken without delay by the Estates Commissioners to acquire some of those grazing lands for the relief of the congestion which exists in the district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners are not aware that this district is congested within the meaning of the Land Purchase Acts, and they cannot identify the lands referred to as the subject of proceedings for sale before them under these Acts.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked the Chief Secretary if he will take steps to see that the Estates Commissioners send down their engineer to mark out the boundary between the Bateson and Royse properties at Loughill, in the county of Limerick, before the Royse property is vested in the tenants on the estate who have purchased their holdings, as there is a dispute between the tenants on these 1013W estates with regard to certain passages and the boundary?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe estate of Frances Royse is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the vendor to the tenants under the Land Purchase Acts, and when it is being dealt with in order of priority the Estates Commissioners will have inquiries made into the matter referred to by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked what are the qualifications of Mr. P. J. Byrne, the inspector of the Estates Commissioners, who inquired into the list of applications for the untenanted lands at Morgans, Borrigone, on the Sandes property, for the position; on whose recommendation was he appointed; and why it was that, in considering the claims of applicants for these lands, he passed over Mrs. Patrick Kenny, of Morgans, who was evicted from ten acres of the lands, and Michael Fitzgerald, a labourer, with a house and acre of land on the estate, and whose family had been there for generations, for others?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIn reply to the first paragraph of the question I would refer the hon. Member to the Return presented on the 16th February last, No. 32. The allotment of untenanted land acquired by the Estates Commissioners is a matter within the discretion of the Commissioners, and I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member's questions on this subject on 28th March.
§ Mr. HUGH LAWasked the Chief Secretary what is the present state of the negotiations for the purchase of the Stewart-Bam estate in county Donegal?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThere are two estates of Lady Stewart Bam in county Donegal in respect of which direct sale purchase agreements have been lodged with the Estates Commissioners, and they will be dealt with in their respective order of priority. The Congested Districts Board are in correspondence regarding a sale of another estate belonging to the same owner.
§ Mr. GINNELLasked the amount deducted from the annual Grants in relief of local rates to each county council and other local authority in Ireland in each year since 1902 in respect of land purchase annuities in default and the other liabilities under the Land Purchase Acts; and, after allowing for the subsequent adjust- 1014W ments, the net loss of each authority and of the whole of Ireland in the whole period to the end of March, 1912?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his similar question on this subject on the 29th March, 1911.
§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked what was the actual amount allowed for the improvement of the O'Brien estate, at Cornakelly, county Longford; how much of this sum was allotted to the making of a new road and the building of a bridge; whether the carrying out of the work was placed in the hands of a former bailiff on the property, who did the work so badly that the bridge has now collapsed and the last slate of these tenants is worse than the first; and whether the Estates Commissioners will now properly complete the work they began?
§ Mr. BIRRELLFree grants, amounting to £200, were sanctioned for improvements to roads, drainage, and fences on this estate. In the course of improving a road it was found necessary to erect a bridge over a small stream. This has been done, and a slight defect in the bridge is now being repaired. The Estates Commissioners have no information as to whether the man who was in charge of the improvement works was formerly a bailiff on the estate.
§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked why it is that the Estates Commissioners refuse to grant some compensation to Mr. James M'Manus, of Cornakelly, Ballinamuck, for the land they took from him for the making of a new line of road through that townland; whether it is the custom of the Commissioners to refuse compensation in these circumstances; and, if not, will the compensation be now paid?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners do not consider that any damage has been done to the holding of the tenant referred to in the repairing of the roads in his vicinity which would warrant compensation being paid to him, and they do not therefore propose to make him any grant.
§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked when the final arrangements for the vesting of the Galbraith estate, in North Longford, will be completed by the Estates Commissioners?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on the 19th February, to which I have nothing to add at present.
§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked whether the Estates Commissioners will renew the negotiations for the purchase of the un-tenanted lands of Coolcraff, county Longford, the property of Mr. James W. Bond, D.L., with a view to allaying the wants of the people of Abbeylara parish for an increase of their uneconomic holdings?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners understand the owner is not prepared to sell the lands at their estimated price, and as they cannot see their way to increase such price, they do not propose to reopen negotiations at present.
§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked what progress has been made by the Estates Commissioners towards the purchase and subdivision of the lands of Clonfin, which have now been before the Commissioners for nearly three years, and the delay in acquiring which is creating much irritation in the district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe tenants on this estate have signed agreements to purchase their holdings direct from the owner under the Irish Land Act of 1903, and the estate is being dealt with in its proper order. The Estates Commissioners have had an inspection made of the untenanted land, which will be dealt with at the same time as the tenants' portion of the property.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked if the estate of Lord Sandwich, at Ballinlough, Kilteely, county Limerick, is vested in the tenants; if not, how soon may they expect to have the sale completed; and when the agreements were lodged?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe purchase agreements in this estate were lodged in 1906. The estate is on the principal register of direct sales (all cash), and the Estates Commissioners are not at present in a position to say when it will be reached in order of priority to be dealt with.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked if the lands of Carrig East and Carrig West are included in those purchased by Lord Clarina; if so, how can they be claimed as demesne lands considering that there are at present people living in the locality holding old rent receipts which clearly shows that the lands, especially those of Carrig West, are 1016W evicted lands; and, in view of the effect of handing over these lands to Lord Clarina, will steps be taken by the Estates Commissioners to acquire at least Carrig West and have it distributed among those who were evicted from it not many years ago?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAs I have already informed the hon. Member, the lands on this estate repurchased by the owner under Section 3 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, which include the greater part of the lands of Carrig East and Carrig West, have been vested in him, and the Estates Commissioners cannot take any further action in the matter.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked whether the Estates Commissioners will build a dwelling house and out-offices on the farm lately in possession of Mr. Griffin, and now in possession of the former tenant Timothy Burke, at Pallasgrean, county Limerick, having-regard to the present insanitary condition of the outhouses now in the place; and will work be undertaken as soon as possible so that Burke may go to live there before-summer?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have sanctioned a building Grant of £100 in this case, and one of their outdoor staff has been instructed to supervise the expenditure.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked when the purchase-agreements were lodged on the estate of Colonel Hare, at Doon, county Limerick; in view of the fact that the tenants are paying at the rate of four per cent, on the purchase money, will steps be taken to have the sale completed; and will this be done during the coming year?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe purchase agreements in this case were lodged in April, 1907. The estate is on the principal register of direct sales (all cash), and will be dealt with in order of priority, but the Estates Commissioners are not at present in a position to say when it will be-reached.
§ Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENasked what is the reason for the delay in issuing vesting orders on the Rushbrook estate, Queenstown, which was purchased four years ago, and the tenant purchasers of which have ever since been paying 3¾ per cent, interest instead of the 2¾ per cent, covenanted for under the Act of 1903 under which the purchase took place?
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§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that this estate was dealt with in its proper order of priority. The holdings were vested in the purchasing tenants on the 21st March. In their purchase agreements the tenants contracted to pay interest in lieu of rent at 3¾ per cent, pending vesting.
§ Mr. FFRENCHasked whether, seeing that George Ellard's farm (E 7334/12) is annually let on the eleven months' system, on what grounds the Estates Commissioners have decided not to take any action in the matter?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners, after inquiry, and in the exercise of their discretion, refused to take any action in this case.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked whether the Estates Commissioners have agreed with the landlady, Miss Delmege, on the price of the untenanted lands at Mount Henry, Colcappa, in the county Limerick; and, if so, can he say when these lands will be taken over by the Estates Commissioners to be apportioned amongst the deserving applicants in the district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe reply to the first paragraph of the question is in the negative. The question of apportioning the lands will be considered by the Estates Commissioners when they are dealing with the sale of this estate in order of priority.