§ MR. SEXTONOn behalf of the hon. and gallant Member for East Cork, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether any Professor of Irish is at present engaged at Marlborough Street Training College, Dublin; and, if not, what facilities are afforded to National school teachers in Ireland of acquiring such a knowledge of the Irish language as will enable them to impart instruction in English to children in Irish-speaking districts through the medium of their native tongue; and whether, in view of the admitted necessity for this knowledge, he will recommend the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland to appoint a Professor of Irish at this Training College should no such Professorship now exist there?
MR. J. MORLEYThere is no Professor of Irish in Marlborough Street Training College, nor is there any Professor of Irish employed in any of the denominational Training Colleges. The Commissioners annually examine teachers for certificates to teach Irish, and they supply text-books at cost price for the use of classes learning Irish. Irish is also a subject which teachers may select in their examinations for promotion in 364 the first class. At the annual examination of the teachers for the current year 29 teachers presented themselves for examination in Irish. Further, for proficiency of pupils in Irish the Commissioners grant a fee of 10s. per pass for each of the three years in which a pupil may be presented for examination in the subject. In 1893 there were 50 schools in which Irish was taught, and 903 pupils were presented in these schools for examination for results fees. The question of appointing a Professor to teach Irish at the Marlborough Street Training College was referred by the Commissioners to the Professors of the College for their opinion some years ago, and their unanimous reply was that Irish could not possibly be introduced into the curriculum of the College, except by the exclusion of some other subject of certainly more pressing importance.
§ MR. SEXTONinquired whether, in view of the importance of this subject to the teachers, the right hon. Gentleman would reconsider his decision?
MR. J. MORLEYI quite understand this subject being interesting to gentlemen from Ireland, and I will ascertain a little more precisely whether there are any good arguments against the establishment of an Irish Chair.