Irish Land Act 1903

6 Purchase of estates by Land Commission

(1) Where the owner of an estate makes an application in the prescribed form to the Land Commission requesting them to enquire into the circumstances of the estate with a view to the sale thereof under this Part of this Act, the Land Commission may, after due enquiry, propose to purchase the estate, and in estimating the price shall have regard to the foregoing provisions of this Act in respect of advances, and to the prices which the tenants and other persons are willing to give for the holdings and other parcels of land comprised in the estate.

(2) If within the prescribed time the owner of the estate agrees to sell the estate at the estimated price, and tenants of holdings on the estate, to the extent of not less than three-fourths in number and rateable value, undertake to purchase from the Land Commission their holdings, or other designated parcels of land in lieu thereof, for the respective amounts on the basis of which the price of the tenanted portion of the estate was estimated by the Commission, the Commission may agree to purchase the estate for the estimated price.

(3) The Lord Lieutenant may, under special circumstances and with the approval of the Treasury, dispense with the condition in the last preceding subsection as to undertakings to purchase holdings, where the Land Commission certify to him that they are of opinion that the resale of the estate can be effected without prospect of loss.

(4) In the case of a congested estate as defined by this section, if the Land Commission, with the consent of the owner, certify to the Lord Lieutenant that the purchase and resale of the estate are desirable in view of the wants and circumstances of the tenants thereon, then the Land Commission may purchase the estate for a price to be agreed upon, and in such case the condition in this section as to resale without prospect of loss may be relaxed to such extent as the Lord Lieutenant may determine.

(5) The expression " congested estate " means an estate not less than half of the area of which consists of holdings not exceeding five pounds in rateable value, or of mountain or bog land, or not less than a quarter of the area of which is held in rundale or intermixed plots.