HC Deb 19 December 1912 vol 45 cc1705-6W
Mr. DUFFY

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland (1) the amount in acreage of untenanted land on the estate of Viscount Gough, Lough Cutra, Gort, outside of the demesne; whether he can give the townlands where the untenanted lands are situated and the acreage within each town-land; (2) how many agricultural tenants there are on the estate of Viscount Gough, Lough Cutra, Gort; how many tenants are valued at over £10 valuation; how many are valued at under £10; what is the amount of untenanted lands the Estates Commissioners propose taking over for distribution; where are these lands situated; and (3) whether he is aware that Viscount Gough, Lough Cutra Castle, Gort, agreed to sell to the Estates Commissioners all the untenanted land they require for the enlargement of holdings and the relief of congestion on the property; can he state what acreage of untenanted land, and where situated, do the Estates Commissioners propose to acquire for the above purposes; and how many of the uneconomic holdings on the estate do the Estates Commissioners propose to make economic through the division of these lands?

Mr. BIRRELL

There are 206 tenants included in the estate of Lord Gough, county Galway, which is the subject of proceedings for sale before the Estates Commissioners under the Land Purchase Acts, and the tenement valuation of 108 of these holdings appears to be under £10. Lord Gough undertook to sell to the Commissioners such untenanted lands as they considered he should sell for division amongst the tenants, and, in addition to the tenanted land, the Commissioners are acquiring some 354 acres of untenanted land on the estate situate in four townlands in the Gort electoral Division, and in the townland of Prospect in another electoral Division. The lands have not yet been acquired, and the Commissioners are not at present in a position to make any statement as to the distribution of the untenanted lands which they propose to acquire.