§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland how much money was deducted from the Grants-in-Aid to the Galway County Council on account of defalcations under the Purchase Acts, 1903 and 1909; can he state what steps have been taken to make good all such deductions to the county council; and whether he can give the figures as to the amounts remitted annually to the county council on foot of deductions so made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLpresented the following statement, showing for each year since the 1663W passing of the Irish Land Act, 1903, the net amounts which have been deducted from, or added to, the share of the county of Galway in the Estate or Death Duty Grant in connection with land purchase operations in the county under, the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act, 1891, and the Irish Land Acts, 1903 and 1909:—
Year ended 31st March. Under the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act, 1891. Under the Irish Land Acts, 1903 and 1909. Net Deduction or Addition. Deduction. Addition. Deduction. Addition. Deduction. Addition. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1905 … … 158 0 11 — 18 3 10 — 176 4 9 — 1906 … … 273 14 6 — 436 4 1 — 709 18 7* — 1907 … … — 258 0 9 3,170 15 8 — 2,912 14 11* — 1908 … … 430 11 0 — 318 19 11 — 749 10 11 — 1909 … … 720 1 7 — 2,346 19 10 — 3,067 1 5 — 1910 … … — 884 16 11 470 0 5 — — 414 16 6 1911 … … 119 11 10 — 591 13 2 — 711 5 0 — 1912 … … — 127 10 10 1,008 6 9 — 880 15 11 — * Both these deductions were made in the year ended 31st March, 1907. With regard to the second paragraph of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the question on this subject asked by the hon. Member for Cork City on 28th March last.
§ Mr. DORISasked whether the Congested Districts Board have received several memorials from the tenants of the Dickens estate, Currane, county Mayo, requesting the Board to purchase the estate and relieve the congestion from which the memorialists suffer; and what steps the Board propose to take in the matter?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Board have received several memorials regarding the purchase of the Dickens estate, and are in correspondence with the solicitor for the trustees of the property.
§ Mr. DORISasked the Chief Secretary (1) whether the Congested Districts Board have yet received from Mr. James Fitzgerald-Kenny maps and other necessary papers relating to his estate in the county of Mayo with a view to a sale of the property to the Board; and (2) whether Miss Olivia Crean Lynch has yet lodged with the Congested Districts Board the maps of her estate in the county of Mayo, with a view to a sale of the property to the Board?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board understand that the maps and documents necessary for a preliminary1664W inspection of these properties are in preparation.
§ Mr. DORISasked whether Mr. Patrick O'Dowd has yet lodged with the Congested Districts Board the maps of his estate at Fallduff, county Mayo, with a view to a sale of the property to the Board?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts. Board inform me that Mr. O'Dowd has not yet lodged the maps and documents necessary for a preliminary inspection of his estate, but that the maps are ready and will be lodged with the other information required at an early date.
§ Mr. DORISasked whether the trustees of the Achill Mission estate, Achill, county Mayo, have definitely refused to sell the property to the Congested Districts Board?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe answer is in the negative.
§ Mr. DORISasked whether the Congested Districts Board have received from Mrs. Pike or her agents a refusal to sell her congested estate in Achill, county Mayo?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe answer is in the negative.
§ Mr. NEWMANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the National Debt Commissioners are receiving a sinking fund from tenant purchasers in Ireland which, in case of their default, is paid out of the Guarantee Fund, an Irish fund, which now amounts to £1,400,000 a year; whether this sinking fund is calculated to redeem the whole of the Land Stock within a fixed number of years; and whether, considering that the National Debt Commissioners, are now purchasing and issuing stock at a discount of 16 per cent, on the 3 per Cent. Stock and 25 per 1665W cent, on the 2¾ per Cent. Stock, to whom will the ultimate benefit accrue from these transactions when the sinking fund is sufficient to redeem the stock at par?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe sinking fund contained in the tenant purchasers' annuities is regularly paid over to the National Debt Commissioners, any amount in arrear two months after the sale day being temporarily supplied from the Guarantee Fund. The annuity is payable until such time as the accumulated sinking fund amounts to the sum advanced or is sufficient to redeem a nominal amount of stock equal to the advance. Any benefit arising from the purchase of stock at a discount on account of the sinking fund accrues to the tenant purchasers. I would further refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley on 29th April, 1909 (Debates, Vol. 4, page 623).
§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that on 14th June, 1910, the Estates Commissioners informed the Gort town tenants on the estate of James B. Lahiff, Gort, that the Commissioners had under consideration the question of the purchase of that portion of the town of Gort situated on the above estate; whether he is aware that on 28th June the Estates Commissioners informed the Gort town tenants that the Commissioners cannot have an inspection made or make an offer for the property referred to, which is the subject of proceedings for sale in the Court of the Land Judge, until they are furnished by directions of his lordship with a rental, schedule of tenancies, map, etc., of the premises proposed to be sold; whether he is aware that the Land Judge made such an order; whether the Estates Commissioners have petitioned the Land Judge in the matter, in pursuance of their promise; and whether he can state why steps have not been taken since to have an inspection made and an offer made to Judge Ross?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am aware that the Estates Commissioners informed the tenants referred to as stated in the question. The solicitors for the owner have informed the Estates Commissioners that no arrangement as to price has yet been arrived at with the tenants, and no maps or other documents have been lodged with the Commissioners, who are not aware of any order of the Land Judge in the matter.
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§ Mr. DUFFYasked the Chief Secretary how many years' annuity are due by the representatives of Michael Kean for his holding in Feakroe, Athenry, on the estate of Mr. W. B. P. Trousdell; has any portion of the purchase-money been paid by his representatives since his death; have any of the arrears of the annuity been paid by the county council; will he explain why the Land Commission have not taken steps to procure a purchaser for this holding; has a caretaker been appointed by the Land Commission to look after the farm; who has been appointed; what emoluments is he in receipt of; and has he taken any steps to let the lands in question, with a view to the payment of the instalments due to the Land Commission?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Land Commission inform me that in this case there are six and a half years arrears of the annuity of £1 4s. due, amounting to £7 16s. They are not aware of the date of Michael Kean's death, and therefore cannot say whether any instalments have been paid since his death. The arrears of £7 16s. have been met as to one-half out of the Guarantee Fund, and as to the other half out of the landlord's guarantee deposit. The Commissioners having failed to recover the arrears, or to sell the holding, took up possession of it in 1909, since when a caretaker has been in charge of the building (under police protection). His emolument is 10s. a week, and his instructions are to let the holding for grazing if possible, but no letting has been effected. The Commissioners have made repeated attempts to sell the holding subject to the annuity, but without success.
§ Mr. DORISasked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that two years ago the Congested Districts Board received a memorial from the tenants of Mrs. M'Donnell, the Valley, Achill, county Mayo, describing their impoverished condition and requesting the Board to purchase the estate and relieve the congestion of the district; that two similar requests were addressed to the Board last year; that the average area of the holdings of the tenants on this estate is three acres, whilst there is sufficient untenanted land upon it to afford enlargements of holdings to twenty acres; what action has been taken regarding these requests; and when the Board intend to take steps to relieve the congestion in this district?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on this subject on 21st February, 1911.