HC Deb 31 May 1916 vol 82 cc2750-1W
Mr. FITZPATRICK

asked whether part of the lands of Lisduff, situate in the Castletown estate, Queen's County, were divided up amongst the tenants on the estate; whether some time ago the agent of the owner approached the tenants with lands divided amongst them, and asked a view to having the remainder of the the Rev. Canon Brennan, parish priest, Rathdowney, to prepare a scheme of division; if the Rev. Canon Brennan prepared a scheme, lodged the same with the Estates Commissioners, and that the, Estates Commissioners approved of the same, subject to slight modifications; whether the owner now refuses to proceed with the scheme, notwithstanding his agent's treaty with the tenants, and is endeavouring to redeem that portion of the annuity attributable to the undivided portion of the land; whether it is the owner's intention when the annuity is redeemed to divide the lands amongst three parties, one of whom is a non-tenant and already holds 200 acres of land; and whether, under the circumstances, the Estates Commissioners or Land Commission will allow the owner to redeem that part of the annuity attributable to the undivided part of the lands without redeeming the annuity on the whole lands and permit him to repudiate the solemn bargain entered into with his tenants?

Mr. SAMUEL

The facts of this case were fully set out in the reply given on the 6th January last to a question of the late Member for the Leix Division of Queen's County. To that reply there is now nothing to add except that Lord Castletown has a right to redeem the annuity payable out of the residue of the lands remaining on his hands after the apportionment has taken place in the same way that any other tenant purchaser has the right to redeem his land purchase annuity.