asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that cattle-drives have recently taken place in the following districts: From John Cullinan's farm, at Fahy North, Carron, on 10th February; from W. Doran's lands, at Corimbla, on 11th February; from M. D. O'Sullivan's farm, at Ashgrove, near Kenmare, on 14th February; from Messrs. Shirley and Ashmore's lands, at Gorteena-hilla, Cullohil, Queen's County, on 14th February; from William Dunne's farm, at Corbally, Queen's County, about 14th February; and from J. C. Wilmot Smith's lands, at Ballynanty, near Bruff, on 19th February; and, if so, what action has been taken in these cases?

The police authorities inform me that cattle were not driven from John Cullinan's farm at Fahy, on 10th February. Cattle were driven off W. Doran's land at Corimbla, county Mayo, on 15th February, no arrests made; off Mr. O'Sullivan's farm at Gortalinny, on 7th February, no arrests made; off Messrs. Shirley and Ashmore's lands at Gurtnahilla, on 2nd February, fifteen persons returned for trial at assizes; off W. Dunne's land at Corbally, on 5th February, no arrests made; and off the lands of C. W. Smith at Ballynanty, on 19th February, no arrests made. The police are doing all that is possible to prevent further drives. Where cattle are driven off lands by stealth at night it is difficult for the police to make detections unless they have constant relief patrols on the farms.

asked in what schools in Westmeath, in the opinion of the inspectors of Irish under the Board of National Education, the Irish language was satisfactorily taught in the school year ending 30th June, 1911, and to which full payment was made for that teaching?

Irish, in the opinion of the Examiner of Irish under the Board of National Education, was satisfactorily taught in the school year ended 30th June, 1911, and full fees were paid for the teaching thereof in case of the undermentioned schools in the county Westmeath:—Mullingar Convent, Milltown Boys', Newbristy, Multyfarnham Boys', Multyfarnham Girls', Cloran, Ballinagore Girls', Ballymore Boys', The Downs, Milltown Girls', and St. Feighin's Boys'.

also asked the Chief Secretary the number of the persons during the last five years in Ireland certified by medical practitioners as insane who were released as sane within twelve months; the total cost to asylums in respect of those persons; whether he is aware that a rule of the Local Government Board allows no fee to be paid to the examiner unless he gives a certificate of insanity; and whether, in the interest of ratepayers, he will have that rule altered and a fee paid for the examination, irrespective of its result?

It is presumed that the hon. Member's question refers to the District and Auxiliary Asylums. The number of persons during the five years 1906–1910 (the latest date for which information is available) in Ireland, certified by medical practitioners as insane, who were re- leased as sane (recovered) within twelve months, was 5,506. The cost to asylums in respect of these persons cannot be given, as the record of their cost is not kept distinct from that of the other patients. The Local Government Board have made no rule such as that suggested in the question. The majority of admissions to Irish public asylums are effected under the 10th Section of the Act 30 and 31 Vic, cap. 118. The payment of the fee in such cases is regulated by the 14th Section of the Act 38 and 39 Vic, cap. 67, which leaves the matter at the discretion of the committing magistrates.

asked how the Estates Commissioners are going to deal with George Hartigan, tenant on the Lyons estate at Ballinscala, Kilmallock, county Limerick; and, in view of the circumstances which so far have prevented this tenant from getting an advance under the Land Purchase Acts, will he be allowed to divide his farm and purchase the bigger part of the holding, or will the Commissioners reconsider the whole case and allow the full advance of £7,000 to be made, as it is well known that the £2,000 odd which they say he has already been advanced was for the farm which he holds in trust for his nephews, which no doubt would have passed from their hands except for Mr. Hartigan's consideration?

The Estates Commissioners inform me that Hartigan signed an agreement under the Irish Land Act, 1903, to purchase his holding on the estate of J. D. Lyons, county Limerick, for the sum of £6,134. He and his wife had already obtained an advance of £2,231 for the purchase of a holding on the O'Donnell estate, county Limerick, which advance they state they obtained as trustees for their brother-in-law, but the Court of Appeal have decided that this advance must, for the purposes of Section 1 (4) of the Irish Land Act, 1903, be taken as made to Hartigan. He cannot, therefore, now obtain a greater advance than £4,769 (being the difference between £7,000, the maximum advance obtainable under the Irish Land Act, 1903, and £2,231, the advance already obtained by him). It is open to Hartigan to lodge in cash the balance of the advance of £6,134 applied for by him. If the farm were divided, as proposed in the question, and an agreement now lodged for the purchase of portion of it, such agreement would be subject to a 3½ per cent, annuity under the Irish Land Act, 1909, and the maximum advance which could be made in such circumstances to him would be £2,769.

asked whether the Local Government Board have recently received letters of complaint as to the treatment of patients in the internal working of the Macroom workhouse hospital; what was the nature of these complaints; have they been investigated; and, if so, with what result?

Complaints have been received by the Local Government Board from several women as to the internal working of the Macroom workhouse hospital. The allegations resolve themselves generally into charges against the officials of the hospital, and complaints as to the treatment meted out to these women while patients therein. The Board are in communication with the guardians on this subject, and their inspector proposes to investigate the matter personally at the hospital.

asked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that Jeremiah Sheehan, an evicted tenant on the Smith estate at Knockardrahan, Kanturk, county Cork, several years ago applied to the Estates Commissioners for reinstatement in his own or on an equivalent farm; and will he state the cause of the delay in this case?

The Estates Commissioners received an application from Jeremiah Sheehan for reinstatement in a holding formerly occupied by Daniel Sheehan and Jeremiah Sheehan as joint tenants on the Smith estate, county Cork, and, after inquiry and consideration, decided to take no action in the matter of Jeremiah Sheehan's application.

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is now in a position to state what action the Estates Commissioners propose to take with regard to the reinstatement of Timothy Cummins and John Desmond, evicted tenants on the Arnott estate; whether, in view of the fact that Desmond's predecessor being the tenant in possession of the holding at the passing of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881, the middle interest of Wheeler was not determined by virtue of Section 8 of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881, by reason of the rent of the holding being fixed at a sum less than the rent received by the middleman, and which would have constituted Desmond an immediate tenant to the Arnott estate were the appeal contested by him; whether he is aware that hundreds of middle interests in Ireland have not been determined in the same way and the occupying tenants ipso facto become immediate tenants to the head landlords; whether he will again cause inquiries to be made as to the legal and equitable claims of Desmond to be reinstated, inasmuch as Wheeler could not in any circumstances have resumed possession of the holding had not circumstances arisen which gave the head landlord an opportunity of evicting Desmond out of the holding; and whether the tenants in question will be reinstated before an advance is made for the purchase of the estate?

The Estates Commissioners do not propose to take any action in the cases of Timothy Cummins and John Desmond. Cummins obtained possession of a holding on the Arnott estate as executor of a Mrs. Murphy. He fell into arrears with the rent, and gave up possession on receiving compensation for doing so. Desmond, who appears to have held as subtenant to a Miss Wheeler, tried to get a judicial rent fixed under the Land Law Acts, but the lands being a town park the case was dismissed by the Land Commission Appeal Court, and does not therefore come within the Evicted Tenants Act, 1907. The nephew of Miss Wheeler, the former direct tenant of this holding, is now in occupation of it, and has signed an agreement for the purchase of the holding under the Land Purchase Acts.