§ MR. SEXTONI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland what have been the receipts and expenditure of the Irish Interme- 522 diate Education Board in respect of the Customs and Excise Duties Grant; and what proportion of their total annual income the Board have recently expended?
§ MR. JACKSONThe Assistant Commissioners of Intermediate Education report that the receipts in respect of the Customs and Excise Duties Grant have been £39,042, and the expenditure thereunder, up to the present, has been £5,108. Exclusive of this grant the Board report their income amounts to £33,756, of which they expended about 94 per cent.
§ MR. SEXTONIs it a fact that this Board has only expended one-eighth of the money? I beg to ask whether the right hon. Gentleman will make any financial proposals?
§ MR. JACKSONOf course it is rather early to ask that, because it must be borne in mind that, having received the money, it was their duty to make rules for the disposition of the amount. These rules have now been issued, and no doubt the next year's expenditure will show a large increase. But so far as I am at present able to form an opinion the sum allotted for this purpose is really in excess of the requirements of the case, and I have been considering whether I should not make some proposals to allocate some portion of this money for technical education and for other purposes.