§ MR. SEXTONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can now state whether, in the case of the additional funds in aid of primary education in Ireland, he will proceed by Bill or by Supplementary Estimate; if he can now state definitely the amount which the Government will propose as the Irish capitation rate; and whether the principles of distribution embodied in the English Bill will be submitted for provisional application to Ireland?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo final determination has been come to with re- 1073 gard to the particular method of dealing with the funds at the command of the Irish Office in consequence of the measures taken in England for freeing education; but the desire of the Government is to proceed by Resolution, not by Bill, if such a course be practicable. With regard to the second question, I understand from the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the sum available in the course of the present year is between £80,000 and £85,000. With regard to the next paragraph, which I understand to embody a suggestion that we should bring forward a short preliminary education measure for distributing the money among the school authorities in Ireland, I think such a measure might lead to grave complications and difficulties when the final arrangements come to be made, and I should not be prepared to recommend it to the House.