Mr. SHEENYasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the War Office has taken over Mr. Patrick Murphy's holding at Irishtown, Gormanstown, county Meath, and the greater parts of the holdings of Mr. John Mullen, Mr. Thomas Morgan, and Mr. Laurence Branagan, all of Irishtown, county Meath; what is the compensation they are to get; whether it is to be monetary or equivalent land; whether he is aware that Colonel Peppard, of Bulgarth Castle, who is their landlord, has large 595W estates joining the holdings, including an area of untenanted land; and will the War Office purchase from Colonel Peppard sufficient of his land to make equivalent grants of land to the above tenants, and thus enable them to pursue their industries?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe facts are substantially as stated, but Mr. Murphy's house has not been taken. The tenants will be entitled to such monetary compensation as the Defence of the Realm Losses Commission may decide in respect of any direct loss which they may suffer. If the landlord of the dispossessed tenants has other land which is unoccupied there should be no difficulty in their coming to an arrangement with him for the tenancies of that land.