§ MR. HEALYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1785 Whether it is true that in the Intermediate Education Department £2,000 a-year, or six per cent, of the entire income of the Board, is paid to two secretaries; whether the amount paid in 1882 as result fees to all the schoolmasters and schoolmistresses in Ireland amounted to less than three times the amount of these two salaries; whether the office of these secretaries is terminable at the pleasure of the Lord Lieutenant; whether he will inquire if the functions now devolving on these two secretaries could not be more efficiently and economically provided for by assigning the secretarial portion of their duties to one official qualified by experience of office work, and by requiring the staff of examiners already employed, or some of them, to perform any educational work now devolving upon the secretaries; is one of the secretaries in the habit of attending the meetings of the Senate of the Royal University and Royal Dublin Society and its committees during official hours, and how does he find time for the purpose; had another of them, at the time of his appointment, served about thirty years in one of the Queen's Colleges, and did his then age, length of service, and state of health mark him out rather for superannuation than for a fresh appointment; and, whether steps will be taken to prevent any portion of the income of the Commission being applied in superannuating Queen's College officials?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, when the Board was created the Lord Lieutenant of the time, acting under the authority expressly given to him by the Statute, appointed two gentlemen as Assistant Commissioners, to act as Secretaries, to hold office during pleasure, at the salary of £1,000 a-year each. It is not the case that tine amount paid in results fees in 1882 was less than three times the amount of these two salaries. It was a little over that figure. I am not aware of any sufficient grounds upon which I should ask the Lord Lieutenant to make the inquiries suggested by the hon. Member. It is true that one of the Assistant Commissioners is a member of the Senate of the Royal University, and attends its meetings, which are not frequent, and that he also attends meetings of the Science Committee of the Royal Dublin Society, which are held after his office hours. There does 1786 not appear to be anything incompatible with his official position in his doing so, provided there is no neglect of his official duties, which I have no reason to suppose there is. This gentleman has for 22 years held a Professorship in one of the Queen's Colleges. It is not the case that when appointed to the office of Assistant Commissioner, his age, length of service, and health marked him out for superannuation. The Act does not appear to make any provision for apportioning any part of the funds of the Commission for pensioning these officers.