asked the Minister for Lands and Agriculture whether he is aware that Christopher McEvoy, herd on the untenanted lands held by Mr. James Lyons in the townlands of Castlesize (171 acres) and Mellicent South (142 acres), electoral divisions of Bodenstown and Clane, respectively, County Kildare, has been served with a week's notice to quit his cottage by Mr. Lyons, after twenty years' service on the estate, and whether he will have enquiries made with a view to preventing the eviction until the Land Commission acquire these lands for the relief of congestion.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - EVICTION OF HERD.
Mr. HOGAN
The lands referred to have not been acquired by the Land Commission, and the matter is not one for them.
Will the Minister instruct the Land Commission to acquire this land? There are great numbers of congests in the area and it is lamentable to see such large tracts. of land held by one person. The congests around there, as I said, are very numerous. Is the Minister aware that this man; when he took over the land, refused to allow the herd the grass of a cow and also refused to allow him to keep poultry, and after a stiff fight he decided to allow the herd to keep one hen? Is that fair treatment, or does the Land Commission stand for allowing a matter of that sort to go on?
Mr. HOGAN
The Land Commission cannot acquire the land merely because the owner will not allow the herd to keep more than one hen.
Will the Minister see that the lands are acquired for the relief of congestion? There is a very pressing need in that respect.
SEAN O DUINNIN
asked the Minister for Lands and Agriculture if the late landlord's representatives of the Smith Barry estate, Condonstown, Watergrasshill, County Cork, have been paid the purchase price fixed by the Land Commission; whether he is aware that tenants among whom it has been divided are to pay as annuitants fifteen shillings per acre, and that according to the rents paid in the district seven shillings and sixpence per acre would be the outside fair value of rent of this cold-bottomed land; that farmers of the district consider that the people put into possession cannot pay this rent, and that if such parcels of land should at any future time he put up for sale by reason of non-payment of rent, the interest will realise tittle or nothing, and in consequence would be a burden on the ratepayers, and whether the Minister, if it is not too late, will remedy this state of affairs in the interest and security of the State.
Mr. HOGAN
The untenanted lands of Condonstown containing 638a. 3r. 0p. or thereabouts were vested in the Land Commission on the 25th February last and the purchase money of the lands has been lodged in the bank to the credit of the matter. The lands have been allotted and the total average annuity per acre payable by the allottees is ten shillings per statute acre. The Land Commission are of opinion that the annuities on these lands are fair and reasonable.
I met some of these tenants lately and they say that the annuities are 14/- per acre. The other tenants in the district have the land for 7/6 an acre and it is very hard for the tenants in question to compete with them in the market.
Mr. HOGAN
The Deputy is thinking in terms of Irish acres. It would work out at about 15/- an Irish acre. The average annuity per acre payable by the allottees is 10/- per statute acre. If the Deputy wants further information, the poor land is about 7/- an acre statute and the remainder about 12/- per acre.
Does the Minister agree as to the competency of the inspector as a judge of land?
Mr. HOGAN
I have no reason to think he is not quite competent. I do not know the estate at all. All I have before me is the fact that the annuity averages 10/- a statute acre.
Why should it not be Irish as against statute measure?
Mr. HOGAN
Irish measure is Irish plantation measure and if the Deputy prefers it to statute measure there really is not much between them.