§ Mr. O'MALLEYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Drimsnane grass farm on the Ardilaun estate, Connemara, which has recently been acquired by the Congested Districts Board, is still in the possession of a grazier; whether the Congested Districts Board will immediately take the necessary steps to allow the tenants, on reasonable terms, to have the use of this farm; and whether the proposal of the tenants to the Congested Districts Board will be favourably considered without unnecessary delay.
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board are not yet the legal owners of this property and cannot therefore at present take any action with regard to the lands referred to.
§ Mr. O'MALLEYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether an offer for purchase for the Blake Minor estate, Inverin, Connemara, has yet been made by the Congested Districts Board; and, if not, will he state whether negotiations for purchase of this estate are going on between the Board and the owners?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAn offer was made by the Congested Districts Board for the748W purchase of this property, but was not accepted, and negotiations are now proceeding.
Mr. WILLIAM ARCHER REDMONDasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what is the total amount of purchase money advanced under all the Land Purchase Acts up to the 1st January, 1915; what is the total amount of purchase money representing all the agreements which are pending and where the sale has not been completed up to 1st January, 1915; what is the amount of purchase money advanced last year from the 1st January, 1914, to the 1st January, 1915, under all the Acts; what has been the total purchase money advanced altogether under the Land Purchase Act of 1909 since it was passed up to 1st January, 1915; what is the total amount of purchase money represented by agreements, whether the sales have been finished or not under the Land Purchase Act of 1909, from the time it was passed up to 1st January, 1915; what was the amount of annuities and interest payable by the tenant purchasers under all the Acts from the 1st January, 1914, to the 1st January, 1915; what arrears were due by them in respect of these annuities and interest up to the 1st January, 1915; about how much rental has been bought out in Ireland under all the Land Purchase Acts in Ireland up to the 1st January, 1915; about how much of the rental of Ireland still remains to be bought out; what is the average price paid under all the Land Purchase Acts by tenant purchasers calculated on all the money advanced up to the 1st January, 1915; and what is the estimate of the money required for the purchase of all that portion of the rental which has not yet been bought out?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe total amount advanced under the Irish Land Purchase Acts. 1870–1909, up to 1st January last was £91,768,450, and a sum of £1,584,516 was lodged in cash by the purchasing tenants, making the total purchase money £93,352,966, the sum advanced during the year ended the 1st January last being £5,764,412. The estimated purchase money of lands for the sale of which proceedings had been instituted and were pending on that date, including lands for the purchase of which the Congested Districts Board were in negotiation, but had not yet acquired, was £30,137,420. The total amount advanced under the Act of 1909 up to the 1st January last was 749W £5,132,033, and the estimated purchase money of lands pending for sale under that Act on that date, including pending congested Districts Board sales was £8,037,929.
The figures as to purchase annuities and interest in lieu of rent collectible by the Land Commission under these Acts, and the arrears, are not classified and abstracted up to the date mentioned in the question, but it will be seen from the Annual Report of the Land Commission for the year ended 31st March last, that during that year a sum of £2,658,550 was collectible in purchase annuities, and £1,212,591 as interest in lieu of rent in pending sales, and that the arrears on the 1st July last in respect of these sums were only £12,499 and £11,638 respectively. These arrears have since been considerably reduced as the result of legal proceedings instituted. The average number of years' purchase of all classes of rents (including judicial, non-judicial, leasehold, etc.) of holdings vested by the Estates Commissioners in direct sales under the Acts of 1903 and 1909 is 22.4 and 20.3 respectively. Detailed particulars as regards the number of years purchase under the Acts prior to 1903 are given in Parliamentary Paper 90 of 1903. The rental of the lands sold is not available in all cases, but such particulars as are available are given in the tables relating to the various classes of sales appended to the Annual Reports of the Irish Land Commissioners and the Estates Commissioners. On the basis of the estimate submitted in Parliamentary Paper 6930 of 1913, the purchase money of lands which have not yet, but which may become the subject of proceedings for sale under the Land Purchase Acts may be estimated at a sum not exceeding 60 millions.
§ Mr. DANIEL BOYLEasked the Chief Secretary if the Congested Districts Board will, in view of the grazing facilities urgently required by small neighbouring farmers, expedite the transfer of the Thomas O'Reilly estate, Erris, county Mayo, so as to be available for the ensuing spring and summer?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe offer of the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of the estate referred to has already been accepted, and the legal formalities in connection with the purchase will be expedited as much as possible.
§ Mr. BOYLEasked if the Congested Districts Board have issued an offer of purchase for the estate of Mr. G. T. Shaen Carter, Belmullet, county Mayo; if so, 750W what reply has been received from Mr. Carter; and, if no offer has been issued, when do the Board hope to be in a position to do so?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have not yet issued an offer for the purchase of this property, but the question of doing so will be considered as soon as practicable.
§ Mr. BOYLEasked if Mr. Denis G. Bingham has yet intimated to the Congested Districts Board his acceptance of their final offer for the purchase of his Kilmore Erris estate, county Mayo?
§ Mr. BIRRELLMr. D. G. Bingham has accepted the final offer of the Congested Districts Board for the purchase of his estate, comprising 120 acres of the lands of Ballykinlettra, county Mayo.
§ Mr. BOYLEasked when the Congested Districts Board hope to be able to begin the improvement works on the estate of Mrs. Atkinson, Glencastle, in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, the Board's offer for which was accepted in June, 1914?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThis estate has not yet been vested in the Congested Districts Board, and it is doubtful, having regard to the probable shortness of money available, whether the Board will be in a position to carry out any improvement works on it during the coming financial year.
§ Mr. BOYLEasked whether the maps and other documents necessary for the sale of the estate of Mr. Robert Carson, in Erris, county Mayo, have yet been deposited with the Congested Districts Board?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe answer is in the negative.
§ Mr. BOYLEasked if the Congested Districts Board have yet issued a final offer for the purchase of the estate of Mr. Arthur Bingham, at Doolough, county Mayo; if so, what reply has been received from Mr. Arthur Bingham; and has the owner announced his willingness to sell if paid cash instead of being paid wholly in stock?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Congested Districts Board have not made a final offer for the purchase of Mr. Arthur Bingham's property. An offer providing for payment in 751W stock was issued, but the Board were informed that the owner could not accept it in view of the depreciation in value of the stock.