§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether any grants were made towards technical instruction in Ireland during the year 1890 under the Technical Instruction Act of 1889; if so, for what particular branches of such instruction these grants were made, and what was the total amount in each branch; whether any steps have been taken to bring the facilities thus offered under the notice of those in Ireland for whom they were intended; if so, of what nature; if no such steps have been taken whether he will see what can be done in this direction; what was the total amount of grants for handicrafts or manual instruction in national schools in Ireland during the year 1890; and how many schools shared in these grants?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am not aware that any grants have been made by Local Authorities in Ireland under the Technical Instruction Act of 1889. The City Council of Belfast have, however, added £300 to the rates for 1891, to be devoted to such schools as come within the scope of the Act. The facilities offered under the Act were duly brought to the notice of the Local Authorities by the Local Government Board for Ireland, who issued, in November, 1889, a circular to each such authority, inclosing a copy of the Act. As regards grants for handicrafts or manual instruction in national schools in Ireland, the figures for 1890 are not yet available; but for the year 1889 the total amount of the grants for such purposes was £28,296, and the number of schools which shared in these grants was something above 5,000.