asked the Minister for Lands and Fisheries whether he will state (a) the number of estates in Co. Leitrim purchased under the Land Acts, 1903 and 1909; (b) the particulars of estates so purchased, i.e., name of estate, area and number of tenants thereon; (c) the date of purchase or taking over by the Land Commission of each estate and the date on which each estate was vested; (d) the purchase price fixed on each estate; (e) the proportion of the purchase price borne by the tenants on each estate; (f) what was the amount paid by way of interest in lieu of rent on each estate; (g) if all tenants who purchased under these Acts in Co. Leitrim have their lands now vested, and, if not, whether he will fix a date on which they will be vested, and whether, in cases where undue delay in vesting occurred, he will make any arrangements towards an equitable allowance to the tenants so affected.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Purchase in Co. Leitrim.
I do not propose to ask the Land Commission to expend the time of their staff on the preparation of the return asked for but I may state for the Deputy's information that under the Irish Land Acts 1903-9 252 estates in County Leitrim prising 197,000 acres and 8,860 tenants were sold through the Land Commission, the purchase money being £1,266,000. 15 estates comprising 14,400 acres and 460 tenants were purchased by the (late) Congested Districts Board, the purchase money being £63,000.
The holdings of these tenants have been vested with the exception of 366 holdings comprising 9,400 acres and this residue will be vested as rapidly as possible.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary be good enough to give an answer to the last part of my question as I do not think he has referred to it?
I have already answered it in the last paragraph which says:—"The holdings of these tenants have been vested with the exception of 366 holdings comprising 9,400 acres and this residue will be vested as rapidly as possible."
Would the Parliamentary Secretary observe the following facts:—Later on there is a question whether, in the case of undue delay in vesting, he will make arrangements towards an equitable allowance to the tenants so affected. In giving a reply in the negative, has he borne in mind all the circumstances surrounding the negotiations which led to the signing of the purchase agreements? The big factor was the question of price which was negotiated on a basis of so many years purchase of the rent being paid. The average price in County Leitrim was about twenty years' purchase. The tenants agreed on the price on the understanding that it was to be paid by means of a mortgage extending over 68½ years to be redeemed by annuities payable half-yearly.
This is rather a long question.
Seeing that some of these estates have now been paying annuities for eighteen years, it means that the price represents thirty years' purchase rather than the original agreement of twenty years. If the tenants were aware that they would be called on to purchase at thirty years they would never have agreed. In view of these facts does the Parliamentary Secretary persist in saying that he cannot give the matter further consideration?