Mr. WILLIAM REDMONDasked the Chief Secretary the amount of land sold under all Acts or agreed to be sold to tenants in county Clare up to date, giving the number of estates, the number of holdings, and the total amount of purchase money involved; also the number of holdings, together with estimated purchase price, which still remain to be dealt with in county Clare?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would ask the hon. Member to await the publication of a Return which is being prepared and will shortly be presented to Parliament, showing the amount of land sold or pending for sale under the various Land Purchase Acts in each county in Ireland up to the end of the last financial year.
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§ Mr. O'SULLIVANasked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that the tenants on the Blennerhassett estate, Ballymullyett, county Kerry, have signed their purchase agreements since October, 1908; and if he will state when they may expect their vesting orders?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe hon. Member presumably refers to the estate of William Blennerhasset, which is being sold direct by the landlord to the tenants, whose agreements to purchase were lodged on 2nd November, 1908. The estate is on the register of direct sales (all stock), and is being dealt with by the Estates Commissioners.
§ Mr. O'SHAUGHNESSYasked whether the Estates Commissioners have entered into negotiations with Captain Lyons for the purchase of his untenanted lands at Cappananty, county Limerick; and, if so, whether any agreement as to purchase has been arrived at?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe reply to the first paragraph of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second paragraph in the negative.
§ Mr. FLAVINasked the Secretary to the Treasury the amount of money deducted in each of the years from 1900 to 1912, both included, from Grants to the Kerry council in connection with land purchase transactions under the Land Purchase Act, 1903, and also under the Land Purchase Act of 1909?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe net amounts deducted under the Irish Land Act, 1903, from the share of county Kerry in the Estate or Death Duty Grant are as follows:—
Year ended 31st March Deduction. £ s. d. 1900 … … … Nil. 1901 … … … Nil. 1902 … … … Nil. 1903 … … … Nil. 1904 … … … Nil. 1905 … … … 8 4 10 1906 … … … 163 5 0 1907 … … … 590 2 3 1908 … … … 362 11 0 1909 … … … 2,093 8 7 1910 … … … 780 0 6 1911 … … … 1,582 5 7 1912 … … … 492 8 2 No deductions have been made from sums payable to Kerry county council in 1411W respect of transactions under the Irish Land Act, 1909.
§ Mr. THOMAS F. SMYTHasked whether the Congested Districts Board are in communication with the owners to purchase the Lawder and Gumley estate, situate at Kiltoghert, Carrick-on-Shannon, county Leitrim, with a view to their selling the same to the tenants; and if they will purchase the untenanted land on this estate and have it divided amongst the tenant farmers whose holdings adjoin the farm and are uneconomic?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe estate referred to, including 67 acres of untenanted land, has been offered for sale to the Congested Districts Board, and a decision will be arrived at regarding purchase as soon as practicable.
§ Mr. THOMAS F. SMYTHasked how many estates in county Leitrim have been purchased, and what estates, by the Congested Districts Board since the passing of the Land Act of 1909; whether the estates so purchased have been resold to the tenants; and what untenanted land has been purchased in the same county by the Board with a view to redistribution among the tenants adjoining?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe following estates have been purchased by the Congested Districts Board in the county of Leitrim since the passing of the Land Act of 1909, namely: C. C. B. White, F. R. Johnston, T. McGuckian, John Flood, F. H. Duckworth, and M. D. Dickson. None of these estates have yet been resold, but arrangements are being made for the resale of a number of holdings on the C. C. B. White estate. 3,866 acres of untenanted land have been purchased in the county, with a view to redistribution.
§ Mr. THOMAS F. SMYTHasked the Chief Secretary when will the estate of Mr. H. J. B. Clements, Lough Rynn, county Leitrim, be vested in the tenants, the purchase agreements for which were signed in January, 1909, and lodged with the Estates Commissioners?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners hope to vest the holdings in the purchasing tenants as soon as the question of the turbary on the estate is settled, and they have directed further inquiries to be made as regards this matter.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked whether the Congested Districts Board have taken any and, 1412W if so, what steps to acquire the Oxfield and Finnod ranches, situated in the parish of Drumcliffe, county Sligo; and when the same will be acquired and divided up for the relief of congestion?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board cannot identify the farms referred to from the particulars given.
§ Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked if any offer has yet been made by the Congested Districts Board for the estate of Mr. E. C. Walshe, county Mayo; if not, from what cause the delay arises; and when is an offer to be made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have not made an offer for the purchase of this property pending an agreement as to the inclusion of some untenanted land in the estate proposed to be sold to them.
§ Mr. HUGH LAWasked what is the cause of the delay in completing the sale of the estate of Mrs. Johnstone, situated at Church Hill, county Donegal, agreements for which were made between landlord and tenants some three years ago?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have made an offer for the purchase of this property which has not yet been accepted by the owner.
§ Mr. GUINEYasked the cause of delay in issuing a vesting order to Mr. James P. O'Neill, a tenant on the Lisle estate, at Meens, Newmarket, county Cork, this tenant having signed his purchase agreement in March, 1910, and vesting orders issued to the remaining tenants in February, 1912?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that the consent of the Lord Chancellor had to be obtained to an amendment in the price in this case, and the holding was vested in O'Neill on the 6th instant.
§ Mr. SHEEHANasked the Chief Secretary whether the tenants on the Crooke estate (4631), county Cork, signed agreements to purchase their holdings in the year 1903, and that their holdings have not yet been vested in them; have the Estates Commissioners caused any inspection of this holding estate to be made prior to vesting; whether this estate has been dealt with in its due order of priority; and, if not, why has it been exceptionally treated; and, seeing that the tenants suffer pecuniary loss by being obliged to 1413W pay interest for the past ten years, what steps will be taken to have their holdings immediately vested in them?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of proceedings for sale direct by the vendor to the tenants. The purchase agreements, which are dated 29th September, 1906, were lodged on 18th January, 1907, and the estate has not yet been reached in order of priority.
§ Mr. FLAVINasked if an inspection has taken place on the farm of a non-judicial tenant named Roger O'Halloran Pallas, on the Dennis estate; whether he is aware that O'Halloran's father was only a caretaker of the farm; whether all the improvements made by the tenant have been taken into account by the inspector; and, if so, what is the result of the inspection?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Estates Commissioners inform me that O'Halloran was reinstated by the owner in the judicial tenancy and signed an agreement to purchase the holding under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and it has been vested in him in accordance with the terms of such agreement. The price agreed upon between the parties was within the zones, and, having regard to the provisions of the Act of 1903, the holding was not subject to inspection for the purposes of security.