§ MR. SHEEHY (Galway, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that technical classes associated with the Department of Science and Art, Kensington, have been established in the Convent Schools, Gort, County Galway; that the Board of Guardians had made a grant of 1d. in the £1 in support of these classes; that the Local Government Board has withheld its sanction to such a grant; whether a similar grant has been voted by the Galway Union, although the classes have not been amalgamated or affiliated with Kensington, and on what ground do the Local Government Board refuse to Gort the permission which it grants to Galway; and whether he will produce the Correspondence between the Local Government Board, the Guardians, and the secretary of the Gort Technical Instruction School?
§ MR. BRYCE (for Mr. J. MORLEY)It appears to be a fact that the Board of Guardians of the Gort Union proposed to make a grant to the Gort Convent School in aid of technical and industrial instruction under the Act of 1889. The Local Government Board, having taken the advice of the Irish Law Officers in the matter, have informed the Guardians that the Managers of a school must be in the actual receipt of money from the Department of Science and Art when a request for aid is made by such school to 1756 the Local Authority, and further recommended the Guardians to abstain from raising the rate until that Department shall have determined under the Act the question as to the qualification of the school to participate in the grant, and as to the extent to which, and the mode to which the Local Authority is to be represented on the Governing Body of the school, the Science and Art Department being the Statutory Authority for settling such question. The object of the Local Government Board in addressing the Guardians on the subject was merely to advise them as to the legality of their action and to prevent their being made liable for any wrongful expenditure. A similar communication was made to the Galway Guardians.
§ MR. SEXTONCan the right hon. Gentleman explain how the puzzle is to be solved. If the local rate is not to be allowed, and yet the school will not be recognised by the Department until the rate has been levied, what is to be done?
§ MR. BRYCEwas understood to explain that the Guardians must proceed in accordance with the law by first addressing themselves to the science and Art Department and satisfying its rules. He promised to make further inquiries should additional information be asked for.