§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLasked the Chief Secretary if, when the amount of land purchase default is ascertained by the Land Commission and repayment of the default is subsequently made by the tenant, the county council affected is made aware of the name and residence of the defaulter, so that full inquiry may be made by them; if not, will he say why this is not done; and will he now direct that these names be supplied to the county councils for the information of their finance committees in future?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the question asked on this subject by the hon. Member for North Westmeath, on the 9th March, 1911. When arrears temporarily deducted from the local taxation Grants are subsequently recovered from the defaulters, the amounts are forthwith credited to the county concerned in connection with succeeding payments on account of the Grants. The question of the best way of giving more information to county councils on the subject is under consideration, but no useful purpose would be secured by furnishing the county councils with the names and addresses of temporary defaulters who may have subsequently paid.
§ Mr. J. P. FARRELLalso asked the Chief Secretary what total sum per annum for the past five years was deducted from Grants-in-Aid due to the Longford County Council in respect of losses on land purchase; whether, when defaulters paid up, the sums deducted for their default were then paid over to the county council, and, 1049W if so, by what means or under what head; and is he aware that the secretary of the county council stated at their last meeting that a sum of £8,000 was so deducted, not one penny of which was subsequently repaid?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe following table shows the amounts deducted from or added to the share of county Longford in the Estate or Death Duty and Agricultural Grants in respect of land purchase liability in each of the last five years ending 31st March:—
Year. Deductions from the Estate or Death Duty and Agricultural Grants. Additions to Estate or Death Duty Grant in respect of Arrears Recovered. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1909 1,453 5 5 — 1910 — 508 17 7 1911 166 12 5 — 1912 — 239 2 10 1913 830 5 0 — Total 2,450 2 10 748 0 5 Total net deductions for the five years, £1,702 2s. 5d.
As I have already explained in the foregoing question, arrears of annuities which have been temporarily deducted from the local taxation Grants are, when recovered from the tenant purchasers, forthwith credited to the county in connection with succeeding payments on account of the Grants. The hon. Member will observe in the above table that in the years 1910 and 1912 the repayment of arrears previously deducted caused an addition to be made to the sums otherwise payable to the county from the Estate or Death Duty Grant. The total net amount deducted from Grants payable to the county Longford was £5,980, and not £8,000, as stated in the final paragraph of the question.