§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Central Council of the National Teachers' Association in Ireland have recently laid before him a scheme, under which the position of the teachers would be greatly improved, without any serious demand upon the Treasury; and if he can say whether the Government see their way to legislation with this object in view?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.It is the case that the Central Executive Committee of the Irish National Teachers' Organization have recently suggested the imposition of a national rate to augment the teachers' salaries. Without entering upon the question of the merits or demerits of the proposal, I was obliged to point out, in answer to the memorialists, that it was quite clear that the Government could not at the present time introduce a measure to carry out any proposal of the kind with the slightest prospect of success. And, I fear, I cannot give a more satisfactory answer to my hon. Friend.