HC Deb 18 May 1916 vol 82 cc1660-2W
Captain SHEEHAN

asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that His Excellency was recently petitioned on behalf of Timothy Murphy, an evicted tenant on the Thompson-Orpen estate, near Millstreet, county Cork; that as a result of this petition the local police were requested to furnish the Lord Lieutenant with the particulars of Murphy's eviction; that there are two constables constantly on protection duty on the evicted farm, living in the old farmhouse, and that this number was increased to one sergeant and three constables from May to November, 1915; will he state who bears the cost of these constables; whether, seeing that the Millstreet District Council recently passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of this police protection and that the eviction took place eight years ago, he will say what steps, if any, have since been taken by the Estates Commissioners to restore the evicted tenant to his holding; whether the evicted tenant has been compelled to pay Board of Works instalments in respect of a farm he does not occupy; and whether any effort will now be made to bring about a settlement of this case?

Mr. RUSSELL

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The statements in the question are correct as regards the protection afforded by the police, who are paid for out of the Vote for the Royal Irish Constabulary. Murphy, who was evicted in 1908, does not come within the class of evicted tenants mentioned in the Evicted Tenants Acts, 1907–8, nor is the estate the subject of proceedings for sale under the Land Purchase Acts before the Estates Commissioners, who, accordingly, have taken no action in the matter. It is understood that Murphy is at present discharging by half-yearly instalments two loans formerly obtained by him from the Board of Works for the purpose of improving his holding at Coolykerane.