§ Mr. MULDOONasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that, 211W though purchase agreements were lodged with the Irish Land Commission in 1908 between the tenants and owners of the Leslie and Gubbin estates situate near Glanmire, county Cork, the purchase has not since been completed; will he state the cause of the delay, seeing that other estates have since been vested, though the agreements were entered into at a subsequent date; and when the Land Commission expect to have the lands vested?
§ Mr. DUKEThe estates referred to are pending direct sales tinder the Irish Land Act, 1903, for cash. Such sales are dealt with in order of priority, and have not yet been reached, and the Estates Commissioners are not at present in a position to say when the purchase moneys can be advanced and the holdings vested in the tenants. When reached in order of priority, the estates will be dealt with as rapidly as practicable. I am not aware of the estates referred to in the concluding part of the question, but I presume they are estates in which the purchase money has been advanced either wholly or partly in guaranteed stock.
§ Mr. SHEEHYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether Major Metge at any time offered to sell the Warrenstown Estate, Dunboyne, county Meath, to the Estates Commissioners; and, if so, why the purchase was not carried out?
§ Mr. DUKEThe owner of the estate referred to expressed his willingness to sell, and in 1907 was furnished with an estimate of the price which the Estates Commissioners were prepared to advance under the Land Purchase Acts, provided formal proceedings for sale were instituted. The owner, however, did not consider the price offered sufficient, and formal proceedings for sale were not instituted.