§ Mr. VINCENT KENNEDYasked the Chief Secretary whether the attention of the Estates Commissioners has been brought repeatedly to lands available and suitable for restoring evicted tenants and enlarging uneconomic holdings in county Cavan, by mere outsiders; have any of their officials made any move whatever; why no apparent effort has or is being made to restore the county Cavan evicted tenants; and will he, in the circumstances, have the Evicted Tenants Act, as regards Cavan at any rate, included in the Expiring Laws Continuance Act?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that 100 county Cavan evicted tenants, or their representatives, have been reinstated or provided with other holdings as purchasers, and there are now only eleven county Cavan evicted tenants whose applications have been provisionally noted for consideration, and who have not yet been provided with holdings. The Commissioners exercise their discretion, and make such inquiries as they consider necessary as regards lands which they may require for the purposes of the Evicted Tenants Act, and the relief of congestion. The powers of compulsory purchase given by the Evicted Tenants Act will not expire until 31st December next, and as it will be possible to provide for the evicted tenants who may properly be dealt with under that Act without any subsequent exercise of those powers, it is not intended to include the Act in the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill.