MR. BLENNERHASSETTasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, in any scheme for the improvement of the condition of the Irish National Teachers, the claim of the Old Second Division of First Class, and the Old First Division of Second Class to pensions proportionate to their Class Salaries, in accordance with the principle applied to the other classes, will be taken into consideration; as also the claim of the former to promotion, without further examination, to the First Division of First Class, they having already passed two examinations in first class papers, the qualification at present required for admission to the highest grade?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, it would be very premature to attempt to say now what may or may not be done with respect to any revision of the pensions consequent upon the actuarial investigation of the scheme which it is proposed to make at the end of the fifth year of its operation—that is, in the year 1885. With regard to the question of promotion here referred to, the Commissioners of National Education inform me that the teachers of the old second division of the first class have never passed the examination for the first division of that class, and, until they do so, they cannot be promoted to the first division. But I fancy that this is not an adequate answer to the Question of the hon. Gentleman, who appears to think that the examinations are too numerous. I will, therefore, inquire into the matter.