§ Mr. NEWMANasked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to an offer made in the Land Judge's Court, on 15th July, by the Congested Districts Board to purchase, at a price representing thirteen years' purchase of the judicial rents, the estate known as the Birdfield estate, near Lahinch, county Clare; whether the judge, in refusing to approve of the offer, stated the offer was not a proper one and in no way represented the value of the estate, and that it would be equivalent to a reduction of 10s. in the £ on rents already low, that he had no confidence in the Congested Districts Board, as from experience he could not rely on any offer made by them; and whether the Irish Government intend in the near future to reconstruct on a less partisan basis the membership of the Congested Districts Board?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI have seen a newspaper report of the learned judge's observations. The offers of the Board are always based up an estimate of value made by a competent staff of valuers under the careful supervision of one of the permanent members. The subsequent fall in Land Stock could not be foreseen and any increase in the amount of stock to be paid for an estate might seriously affect the tenant-purchasers' annuities. Taking Stock at 84 the offer of the Board represents fourteen and a half years' purchase of the gross rental of the estate, or fifteen years' purchase of the reduced rents, which the owner has accepted for a number of years past; and not thirteen and a half as represented by Mr. Justice Ross. There is no intention of reconstructing the Board.
§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary whether he has recently received a memorial from the tenants on the estates of Sir Hervey Bruce, in county Derry, asking him, as representative of the Government, to have statutory compulsion applied to their landlord to sell their holdings to them in accordance with the intentions of Parliament; whether he is aware that Sir H. Bruce bought one of these estates in 1871 from the Clothworkers for fifteen years' purchase, then increased, and in some cases doubled the rents, kept the tenants of all his estates out of the Land Courts, confiscated the turbary appurtenant to the holdings, and now refuses to sell except at twenty-nine years' purchase of the rents fixed by himself; if 2934W he will say how much this price exceeds the average price under the Purchase Acts in the last completed year; and, seeing that the tenants in question have always been industrious and orderly, and in view of the danger of leaving them without redress, whether he will accede to their request?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI have received the memorial referred to. I have no information as to the accuracy of the statements in the question, nor have I any power to comply with the prayer of the memorial.
§ Mr. O'SULLIVANasked the Chief Secretary whether, seeing that Dr. Day, of Cork Street Fever Hospital, Dublin, has evicted two tenants, Sullivan and Moroney, of Killorglin, county Kerry, in order to compel them to purchase, steps will now be taken by the Estates Commissioners to use their powers to purchase these farms compulsorily, and so save two families loss and trouble?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners have no information as to the matter referred to, nor can they identify the estate as the subject of proceedings for sale before them under the Land Purchase Acts.
§ Mr. FRANCIS MEEHANasked whether the Congested Districts Board or Estates Commissioners have yet completed the purchase of the Corscadden estate, in Cleragh, Glenade, county Leitrim; and, if not, whether the Congested Districts Board will take immediate steps to secure this waste estate for distribution and relief of congestion?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe estate referred to has not yet been purchased by the Congested Districts Board. The necessary maps and documents to enable an inspection of the property to be made have not yet been lodged.
§ Mr. HAZLETONasked the Chief Secretary the reason of the delay of the sale of the O'Rorke estate, Clonberne, Moy-lough, county Galway; whether he is aware that it is nearly three years since negotiations took place between the Land Courts and the Estates Commissioners; and what is the present position in the matter?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of proceedings in the Land Judge's Court, and the Estates Commissioners proposed to acquire it under Section 7 of the Irish Land Act, 1903. The Congested Districts 2935W Board, however, refused their consent under Section 58 of the Irish Land Act, 1909, to the acquisition of the estate by the Commissioners, and the Papers in the matter were transferred to the Board with a view to proceedings being taken by them for the purchase of the property. The Board had the estate valued, and issued an offer to the Land Judge in January, 1911. The offer was not accepted as the owner was not satisfied as to the quantity of land he was to repurchase. Further negotiations are now pending with a view to the purchase of the estate by the Board.
§ Mr. GILHOOLYasked when the tenants on the Leahy estate, situate in Castletown Bere, will be paying annuities in lieu of rents?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Leahy estate has not yet been vested in the Congested Districts Board, and it cannot therefore be stated when the estate will be resold to the tenants.
§ Mr. GILHOOLYasked when the tenants on the Leigh White estate, situate in Castletown Bere and Glengarriffe, will be paying annuities in lieu of rent in accordance with their agreements?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate has not yet been vested in the Congested Districts Board, and it cannot at present be stated when the estate will be resold to the tenants.
Mr. JAMESO'KELLYasked if the owner of the Popham estate, in the townlands of Ballymore, Lisserdrea, Ballylugnagun, near Boyle, county Roscommon, has offered to sell his interest in these lands to the Congested Districts Board; if the necessary maps and deeds have been lodged, and, if so, on what date; if any further action has since been taken by the Board; and, if not, will he state the reason for the delay?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe estate referred to has been offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board, and the necessary documents have been lodged. An inspection and valuation of the lands will be made as soon as practicable.
§ Mr. JAMES MASONasked the Prime Minister (1) the items which make up the amount of £169,000 for land purchase, other charges, on page 4 of Cd. 6154; (2) the items which make up the amount of £592,000 in the expenditure column for 2936W Land Purchase (Land Commission), on page 4 of Cd. 6154; (3) the items which make up the amount of £32,000 for Class 3, Law and Justice (other services) on page 7 of Cd. 6154; (4) the items which make up the amount of £169,500 for the Congested Districts Board on page 7 of Cd. 6154; (5) whether he can state, in respect of the Civil Service Estimates for the year ending 31st March, 1913, Class 3, No. 17 (Irish Land Commission), the amount of the expenditure which would be defrayed under the provisions of the Government of Ireland Bill by the Imperial Government and by the Irish Government out of the transferred sum; and (6) whether, in respect of the Estimates for Civil Services for the year ending 31st March, 1913, Class 2, No. 38, Congested Districts Board, the amount of the expenditure which would be defrayed, under the provisions of the Government of Ireland Bill, by the Imperial Government and by the Irish Government out of the transferred sum?
§ The PRIME MINISTEROf the total net sum provided in the Civil Service Estimates, 1912–13, for the Land Commission (in round figures £616,000), it is estimated that £592,000 relates to expenditure in connection with land purchase, and that £24,000 relates to other services of the Land Commission. The former sum represents the charge which would fall on the Imperial Government under the Government of Ireland Bill, and the latter the charge which would fall on the Irish Government to be met out of the transferred sum. The salaries of certain of the Land Commissioners (amounting to £12,000 in all) are borne on the Consolidated Fund, and it is estimated that of this sum £9,000 is expenditure in connection with land purchase. In addition to the expenditure in respect of excess stock provided for in the Land Commission Vote, a further sum of £160,000 for this purpose is provided out of the Ireland Development Grant (Class VII., Vote 4). The item, "Land Purchase—other Charges—£169,000," shown on page 4 of Cd. 6154, includes this sum of £160,000 and the sum of £9,000 for the salaries of the Land Commisioners. The sum of £24,000, being the estimated cost of the services other than land purchase provided for on the Land Commission Vote, is included in the item, "Class III.—Law and Justice—other services £32,000," shown on page 7 of Cd. 6154. The item, "Congested Districts Board, £169,000," shown on the same page, represents (in round figures) the total 2937W of the Vote for the Congested Districts Board (Class II., No. 38). The whole amount of this expenditure will be defrayed by the Irish Government out of the transferred sum.
§ Mr. LUNDONasked how much untenanted land the Estates Commissioners have purchased, or arranged to purchase, in the county of Limerick; and who are the owners, and what are the prices paid and the number of acres purchased from each owner?
Mr. BIRR ELLUp to the 31st March last, the Estates Commissioners acquired some 6,240 acres of untenanted land in county Limerick, and negotiations are pending for the purchase of a further area of some 4,500 acres. Particulars of the lands purchased are given when they are resold in the Monthly Returns presented to Parliament, and it would be contrary to the Commissioners' practice to give the particulars asked for in regard to lands which are still the subject of negotiations.