asked the Minister for Lands and Fisheries whether he is aware that the Leigh-White Estate, Co. Cork, was acquired by the Congested Districts Board in 1911; that the holdings of the tenants on that estate have not yet been vested; that the tenants have been paying interest in lieu of rent for seventeen years; that the delay in vesting results in the tenants being obliged to pay rent for 85 years instead of 68½, and whether in view of the fact that this question affects the greater portion of the Castletownbere area, he will state the cause of the delay in dealing with it, and what steps, if any, he is taking to have the estate vested.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Acquisition of Co. Cork Lands.
The Leigh-White Estate was purchased by the late Congested Districts Board under the provisions of the Irish Land Act, 1909, and was not vested in the Board until the 22nd March, 1923, and the arrangements necessary for carrying out the resale of the holdings could not be made till after that date. The holdings of 276 tenants who signed purchase agreements have been vested in them, and the Land Commission were unable to obtain the signatures of the remaining tenants to their purchase agreements, which were prepared and ready for execution in the middle of last year. Arrangements have been made to present these agreements for execution by tenants within the next few weeks.