§ SIR J. MCKENNA (Monaghan, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the strongly expressed wishes of the Irish Catholic Hierarchy, Her Majesty's Government will consent to withdraw from the above Bill the clauses for the enforcement of the compulsory attendance of children at the free schools, in order that sufficient time may elapse after the passing of the Bill to test whether the natural desire of Irish parents for the education of their children is sufficient to induce a full attendance without compulsion?
§ * MR. JACKSONI do not know whether the hon. Member has read the Education Bill, but I think he will find that the provisions of the Bill will afford a sufficient time to test whether the natural desire of Irish parents for the education of their children is sufficient to induce full attendance without compulsion. The compulsory provisions of the Bill are not to come into operation until the 1st January, 1893, and by Clause 3 of the Bill the Local Authority may appoint officers to assist the School Attendance Committee. I presume the number of officers which the School Attendance Committee would deem it necessary to appoint would be largely determined by the fact of the attendance being satisfactory or unsatisfactory. I think, therefore, the hon. Member will see that his desire has been already anticipated.