Mr. COSGRAVEasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the Local Government Board have intimated to the Galway County Council that the reductions to be made in respect of land purchase liability from the Estate Duty Grant payable in county Galway for the half-year ending March 31st, 1915, amounted to £793 13s. 10d.; whether he is aware that the Irish Land Commission refused to supply the county council with a list giving the names and addresses of the tenant purchasers in the county who were in arrear; if he will state whether any, and, if so, what steps are being taken to enforce payment; whether any, and, if so, how much of the amount deducted from the county council Grants is regarded as a total loss; and if he will arrange for the Irish Land Commission to furnish the county council with a list of the defaulters at the end of each half-year in future?>
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe answers to the first and second parts of the question are in the affirmative. In all cases of arrears legal proceedings for the recovery of the debt are taken as promptly as possible, and if these proceedings result in failure512W to recover the defaulter's holding is sold. The outstanding arrears in county Galway, after the last draft had been made on the Guarantee Fund, amounted to £5,189, and of this sum £3,837 had been recovered and credited to the fund by the 31st ultimo.. A sum of £1,352 is accordingly still unrecovered, of which £493 is deemed by the Irish Land Commission to be uncollectable. With regard to the last part of the question, I am as yet unable to add anything to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for East Limerick on the 11th ultimo, but the matter is not being lost sight of.