§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is a fact that the Royal School at Dungannon, with accommodation for 100 boarders, has only 9 boarders, and, although heavily in debt, pays £700 a-year in teachers' salaries, £270 for scholarships, and £95 for exhibitions and prizes; whether the Royal School at Enniskillen, with accommodation for 100, has only 21 boarders, but pays £1,000 in 604 teachers' salaries, £80 in scholarships, and £151 in school exhibitions and prizes; whether the Royal School at Banagher, with accommodation for 40, has one solitary boarder, and pays £100 for teachers' salary, and £10 for prizes; whether the Limerick and Monaghan Diocesan School promises, which, like the Royal Schools, are under the Endowed School Commissioners, are let from year to year at a rent to persons carrying on schools by way of private enterprise; whether the repairs to the Monaghan School House do not come to more than the rent; whether he can state the amount of rent received by the Commissioners from their Royal School property in the last three years, and how much of it was received under the Arrears Act, and also the cost of estate management for the same period; and, whether the Commissioners have for 35 years carried over against their tenants a year's arrears of rent dating from the time of the famine?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, the figures as to Dungannon School are for the most part accurate. The number of boarders, however, is 11, not nine. It is not the fact that the school is heavily in debt. It is practically free from debt. With regard to Enniskillen School, the figures are also, generally speaking, correct; but the allowance for masters' salaries has been reduced to £850, and a still further reduction is intended. There are no boarders at Banagher School. The allowance of £10 for prizes has been discontinued. The statements as to the letting of the diocesan school promises are correct. Since the passing of the Church Act, the Commissioners of Education have had no funds for canning on the diocesan schools. The Commissioners expend no money on repairs, the tenant covenanting in each case to do this. The amount of rent received from the Royal Schools property during the last three years is about £19,000. It is believed that about £1,000 of it was received under the Arrears Act; but this figure cannot at present be stated with certainty, as the Commissioners' agents have not yet furnished their rentals and accounts. If by the phrase "cost of estate management" the hon. Member means agents' fees and bailiffs' salaries, the amount during the last three years has been about £1,400. It is not the fact that the Commissioners have for the last 605 35 years carried over against their tenants a year's arrears of rent, dating from the famine. On two estates (Cavan and Raphoe Schools) they carried over such arrears for a number of years; but they have been written off with others of more recent date.
§ MR. T. P. O'CONNORMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman, if these cases do not show a want of efficiency on the part of the Commissioners; and, whether he will take any steps to put a stop to such a state of things?
§ MR. TREVELYANWe shall bring in a Bill as soon as possible dealing with the subject.
§ MR. HEALYMight I ask the right hon. Gentleman, whether, after attention has been directed to this subject for the last few years, he has yet had any Bill drafted or prepared?
§ MR. TREVELYANThe Bill is drafted.
§ MR. HEALYMight I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he has any objection to move the Bill for first reading?
§ [No reply.]