§ MR. CARSON (Dublin University)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether School Attendance Committees appointed 382 in Ireland, in disregard of the section of the Statute requiring that one-half at least of the persons appointed should be managers or patrons of schools when I such persons are available, are legally constituted: in how many instances has the Statute not been complied with; and whether such School Attendance Committees can legally perform their duties: and, if not, what course the Government intend to take to carry out "The Irish Education Act, 1892"?
MR. J. MORLEYI am advised that under the provision of the Act referred to not less than one-half of the school committee should, where available, be managers or patrons of schools, and that where this has not been done the committees are not legally constituted. The Irish Government has now in preparation, and will bring in at the earliest opportunity in the approaching Session, a measure to remedy the defects which have been experienced in the Act of 1892, and which are set forth in a communication recently addressed to me by the Commissioners of National Education. This communication I will lay upon the Table of the House to-day.