§ Mr. O'DOWDasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the negotiations entered into some time ago with the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of the town of Ballymote, county Sligo, have yet been completed; and, if so, can he say when the sale will take place?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe negotiations for the purchase of Sir Jocelyn Gore-Booth's estate, including the town of Ballymote, have not yet been completed, and I am. therefore not in a position to say when the sale will take place.
§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state for each of the last seven completed financial years the amount of deductions made from each of the normal Annual Grants to local authorities in Ireland under each head in connection with the Land Purchase Acts; the amount of deduction from the refund 1907W under Section 58 (4) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, in respect of railway and harbour charges; from the Asylum Capitation Grant; from the Grant-in-Aid of medical and educational expenditure; from the Grant-in-Aid of sanitary officers' salaries; the total for each of those years; the total for the whole period which has had to be made good by increase of local rates; and the earliest date at which those local authorities can be informed of the amount of deductions to be made from Grants to them in the current financial year?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe appended statements contain information with respect to abatements, deductions or stoppages from
STATEMENT showing, in respect of Land Purchase liability, the net amounts deducted from or added to Grants payable to local bodies in Ireland, during each of the last seven completed financial years— Year. Net amount deducted from or added to. (Additions in italics.) Total. Death Duty Grant. Agricultural Grant. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1906 … … — — — 1907 … … 65,677 12 4 7,541 0 1 *73,218 12 5 1908 … … 13,039 19 2 — 13,039 19 2 1909 … … 54.352 7 4 1,849 17 2 56,202 4 6 1910 … … 4,882 16 3 — 4,882 15 3 1911 … … 10,758 13 1 — 10,758 13 1 1912 … … 535 17 5 — 535 17 5 Totals … 144,864 9 4 9,390 17 3 153,755 6 7 4,882 16 3 — 4,882 15 3 Total net deductions … … £139,481 14 1 £9,390 17 3 £148,872 11 4 * This sum includes £15,288 5s. 7d., in respect of the preceding year when no deductions were made, as the necessary certificates of the Land Commission and National Debt Commissioners were not furnished to the Board. In addition to the amounts given in the above statement, the following sums were deducted from the Grants named therein in respect of Police Charges, pursuant to Section 80 (2) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898,
1908W
Year. Death Duty Grant. Agricultural Grant. Total. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1906 … … 11,674 16 1 158 16 9 11,833 12 10 1907 … … 17,334 7 10 317 13 6 17,652 1 4 1908 … … 14,361 6 9 158 16 9 14,520 3 6 1909 … … 18,155 18 1 3,638 4 4 21,788 2 5 1910 … … 26,096 17 11 6,143 8 7 31,240 6 6 1911 … … 17,184 17 3 1,646 0 11 18,780 18 2 1912 … … 14,471 17 6 1,762 7 6 16,234 5 0 Total … … £119,230 1 5 £12,819 8 4 £132,049 9 9 Grants in respect of the services for each year mentioned. There is no information available showing the extent to which some of these deductions may have necessitated an increase in local rates. For example, in the county borough of Dublin a rate is levied for police charges by the local authority, but the amount collected is not paid over to the police authority. The Government expect to be in a position towards the end of this month to form an estimate of the sufficiency of the Local Taxation Account under Section 58 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, to meet its liabilities, and when this information has been ascertained final payments will be made from the account to the local authorities concerned.
1909W
STATEMENT showing the amount of abatements, deductions. or stoppages, made from the sums claimed in respect of medical and educacional expenditure in unions during the last seven completed financial years. Year. Abatements under Stoppages under Section 80 (2) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, for Police Charges. Total. Section 6 (1) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1902. Section 58 (5) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1906 … 2,350 9 9 — 4,557 9 0 6,907 18 9 1907 … 3,515 14 6 — 4,553 16 0 8,069 10 6 1908 … 4,957 8 6 — 2,350 3 2 7,307 11 8 1909 … 6,231 10 3 — 4,422 1 8 10,653 11 11 1910 … 7,142 19 4 — 4,848 9 3 11,991 8 7 1911 … 7,879 6 11 15,442 17 8 3,859 14 10 27,181 19 5 1912 … 8,040 8 7 8,209 1 6 1,902 7 9 18,151 17 10 Total … £40,117 17 10 £23,651 19 2 £26,494 1 8 £90,263 18 8
STATEMENT showing the amount of abatements, deductions or stoppages, made from the sums claimed in respect of the salaries paid to sanitary officers in rural and urban districts during each of the last seven completed financial years. Year. Abatements under Stoppages under Section 80 (2) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, for Police Charges. Total. Section 6 (1) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1902. Section 58 (5) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1906 … 1,207 0 3 — 2,091 5 7 3,298 5 10 1907 … 1,250 1 9 — 2,091 5 7 3,341 7 4 1908 … 1,699 10 8 — 2,091 5 7 3,790 16 3 1909 … 2,021 9 2 — 2,091 5 7 4,112 14 9 1910 … 2,298 6 1 — *2,536 12 0 4,834 18 1 1911 … 2,841 4 8 3,243 14 6 1,768 4 10 7,853 4 0 1912 … 3,157 2 4 1,724 1 1 849 6 5 5,730 9 10 Total … £14,474 14 11 £4,967 15 7 £13,519 3 7 £32,961 16 1 * This amount includes a sum of £18 18s. which was deduoted in the case of the Sligo Corporation in respect of the non-payment of a fee for audit of corporate accounts. 1910W1911W
STATEMENT showing payments in each of the last seven completed financial years to county councils in respect of railway or horbour charges under Section 58 (4) of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898. Year. Total amount of audited claims. Amount paid. Abatement under Section 58 (5) on account of insufficiency of income. Deductions under Section 80 (2) of sums due in respect of police charges. … £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1905–6 … 180,916 6 0 180,916 6 0 — — 1906–7 … 194,309 19 7 194,309 19 7 — — 1907–8 … 190,318 5 6 180,970 7 3 — 9,347 18 3 1908–9 … 193,294 5 3 183,976 19 0 — 9,317 6 3 1909–10 … 197,465 14 9 187,333 14 3 — 10,132 0 6 1910–11 … *288,854 13 0 204,784 4 8 26,672 1 8 6,898 6 8 1911–12 … 203,138 18 2 161,766 8 0 27,624 2 7 13,748 7 2 Totals … £1,397,798 2 3 £1,294,057 19 2 £54,296 4 3 £49,443 18 10 *Includes £38,168 19s. 4d. in respect of the quarter ended 31st March, 1899, which was paid without abatement or deduction.
STATEMENT showing payments in each of the last seven completed financial years to county concils in respect of railway or horbour chatges under section 58(4) of the local Government (Ireland) Act,1898. Year. Total amount payable under Section 58 (4). Total amount paid. Abatement under Section 58 (ft) on account of insufficiency of income. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1905–6 … 12,524 19 11 12,524 19 11 — 1906–7 … 14,132 11 7 14,132 11 7 — 1907–8 … 12,865 5 6 12,865 5 6 — 1908–9 … 14,421 14 4 14,421 14 4 — 1909–10 … 19,904 10 5 19,904 10 5 — 1910–11 … 13,742 18 1 11,911 19 1 1,830 19 0 1911–12 … 13,564 2 8 11,703 8 4 1,860 14 4 Totals … £101,156 2 6 £97,464 9 2 £3,691 13 4
§ Mr. O'DOWDasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the tenantry on the estate of Mr. Charles Phibbs, J.P., of Doobeg, Ballymote, county Sligo, some time ago waited on that gentleman with a request that he would sell them their holdings under the provisions of the Act of 1909, which request was refused by Mr. Phibbs; and, if so, whether, seeing that all the surrounding estates have been sold, pressure will be brought to bear on this gentleman with the view of inducing him to sell to his tenants?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have no knowledge of the interview referred to. As I have already informed the hon. Member, Mr. Phibbs stated to the Board that he had no land for sale outside his demesne, but further inquiries are being made.
§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked whether the Estates Commissioners have handed over, or propose to hand over, to the Congested Districts Board the Earl of Cork's estate in the barony of Corcaguiny, county Kerry; if not, when do the Estates Commissioners intend sending their inspectors to inspect and value the estate; and when is it proposed to give the tenants the reduction arranged at the time of purchase?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate is the subject of proceedings before the Estates Commissioners for sale direct by the owner to the tenants under the Irish Land Act, 1903. It is on the principal register1912W of direct sales (all cash), and the Commissioners cannot at present say when it will be reached in order of priority to be dealt with.
§ Mr. GUINEYasked the number of acres of land voluntarily and compulsorily acquired under the Land Acts in the county of Cork during the quarter ended 31st December last?
§ Mr. BIRRELLFour thousand and twenty-five acres were acquired in county Cork by the Estates Commissioners in the period named. They were acquired under the voluntary provisions of the Land Purchase Acts.