§ MR. M'LAREN (Cheshire, Crewe)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, In what way the £1,000 voted last year to establish a Spinning, Weaving, and Dyeing School in Donegal, has been expended; whether the school is opened, and how many scholars attend it, and under whose management the money has been spent, and the school is being governed; whether it is the case that the Munster Dairy School does not know what to do with the special grant of £2,000, voted to it last year, and has invested it until they can find something to spend it on; whether this is in accordance with his intentions when he obtained the grant; and, whether, as the money has not been spent, it should, in accordance with regular custom, be returned to the Treasury?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)With regard to the Donegal grant of £2,000, granted last year, I am able to inform the hon. Member that by its aid teach- 1410 ing centres have been established at three places in the county (Carrick, Gweedore, and Milford). The Winter Session commenced on the 15th of November with free classes for lessons in weaving and dyeing. There has not been time since the Question appeared to get Returns of the number of the persons attending. In addition to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Hart, the Committee of Management includes the Countess of Aberdeen, the Earl of Leitrim, the Roman Catholic Primate, the hon. Member for Hanley (Mr. Woodall), and others. With regard to the Munster Dairy School, I cannot give full information; but I may remind the hon. Gentleman that it appears from the Report of the Commissioners of National Education that the facilities afforded by the school have been increased. There is no foundation for the contention contained in the last paragraph, since a grant-in-aid is not governed by the Rule to which the hon. Member alludes.