MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland why the Annual Report of the Proceedings of the Educational Endowments (Ireland) Commission, which has been published every year since 1886, at the end of the current year or beginning of the next, was not so 1248 published in 1892–3; why has the Erasmus Smith Endowment, worth £10,014 a year, been left for nine years unsettled; is he aware that Erasmus Smith, in his indenture under Cromwell and in his charter under Charles II., expressly provided that his endowment should be used to give free, intermediate, University, and, in a limited sense, primary education to the children of all his tenants on all his Irish estates, and to 20 other poor children within two English miles of each of his grammar schools at Galway, Drogheda, and Tipperary; can he state how many pupils are now receiving intermediate education in the Erasmus Smith grammar schools, and how many are receiving Erasmus Smith exhibitions in Trinity College; also how many of the pupils in his grammar schools and how many enjoying his exhibitions in Trinity College are children of his tenants on his Irish estates, or other poor children born within two English miles of his grammar schools at Galway, Drogheda, and Tipperary; is he aware that the children of nearly all the 2,000 tenants on the estate formerly held by Erasmus Smith are deprived of the free, intermediate, and University education which was expressly provided for them; will he explain why the scheme was not adopted which, on behalf of the tenants' children and other poor children on all the Erasmus Smith estates, was put before the Educational Endowments Commissions, on the principle of a Mixed Central Board and Mixed Boards for all the districts in which the estates lie, on which Protestants of all denominations were offered a larger representation than their relative numbers and relative contributions of rent entitled them; and can any steps be taken to secure the benefit of the charity to the children of Catholics as well as Protestants?
MR. J. MORLEYThe statutory powers of the Educational Endowments (Ireland) Commission expired on March 31st, 1893, and have since been continued by Orders in Council. The final Report will be presented before the end of the current year, and will cover the whole period from the date of the last Report to the completion of the business of the Commission. The annual value of the Erasmus Smith endowment, which does not appear to exceed £7,000, 1249 has not yet been fully dealt with, for the reasons explained in my reply to the question of the hon. Member for South Kilkenny on the 23rd inst. The governors of the Erasmus Smith grammar schools have courteously informed me that there are 94 pupils attending the school at Galway, 53 at Drogheda, and 38 at the Tipperary school. There are 35 past pupils of these schools receiving Erasmus Smith exhibitions in Trinity College. Several proposals are under the consideration of the Commissioners. The chief difficulty in framing a scheme is caused by the necessity of having regard to the intentions of the founder as to religion, and at the same time extending the benefit of the charity to Roman Catholics as well as Protestants. If no scheme can be framed under the Educational Endowments Act the administration of the charity can only be altered by Act of Parliament.
MR. T. M. HEALYMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the practical result of these nine years doing nothing since the Act was passed is that £7,000 a year has been solely spent on Protestant pupils; and whether it is not reasonable, after nine years, that the unfortunate Catholics of Ireland should get some share of it?
MR. J. MORLEYI am afraid I have not examined the question closely enough to have the right to an opinion; but if the facts are as stated, they would lead to the conclusion mentioned by my hon. Friend.
MR. T. M. HEALYIf there is a proposal to continue this Act in the Expiring Laws Continuance Act of this year I will certainly oppose it.