asked the Minister for Lands and Agriculture if the following lands, situate in County Kildare, in the possession of members of the Verschoyle family, are non-residential and are available for division amongst uneconomic landholders, evicted tenants, and landless men, viz., Kilberry, about four hundred acres, in which are included four farms from which families named O'Beirne, Hughes, Cummins and Nolan have been evicted; Cloney, three hundred acres, and Shaen, seventy acres; and if he will direct the inspection of those lands by the staff of the Land Commission with a view to their division.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - INSPECTION OF CO. KILDARE LANDS.
Mr. HOGAN
If the lands referred to by the Deputy are the lands which were purchased by George Gilmore, W.H.F. Verschoyle and G.J.F. Verschoyle, these lands are subject to land purchase annuities, and the Commissioners do not propose to acquire them.
Is the Minister aware that the four evicted tenants named in the question, or their representatives, are without any land at present, and would it be possible to acquire any lands on the Verschoyle property in order to give them a home and a means of livelihood?
Mr. HOGAN
The question as to whether other land can be acquired in the neighbourhood of this property belonging to different owners is another question of which I will require notice. I take it that the Deputy does not suggest that the Land Commission could acquire compulsorily land which is subject to land purchase annuities.