MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that, in cases where Irish teachers are required to refund (1) over-payments of results fees owing to clerical errors in the Education Office, they are obliged to pay commission on their money orders, and if this commission could be allowed them as in the case of payment for requisites; (2) is he aware that under present regulations the total amount of results fees earned in a school is not always paid, deductions being forfeited for causes such as absence of teachers from duties owing to prolonged illness; and would he consider whether the amount earned by the pupils might be given to some of the teachers employed in any school so concerned; (3) and, have any arrangements yet been made whereby marks for 1115 efficient school keeping will count in the case of candidates for promotion under the Irish National Board of Education?
MR. J. MORLEYThe Commissioners do not insist on charging the teachers the commission on their money orders in such cases. They will see that in future no teacher shall be charged with the commission on his money order where the refund is called for in consequence of any clerical error in the Office, and not in consequence of errors on the part of the teachers themselves. As regards the second paragraph, the practice is to allow the results fees in full to those members of the school staff who carry on the school business during intervals of absence of other members exceeding a month without a substitute, except for special subjects where instruction was not given by duly certificated teachers during illness of the absent teacher. The reply to the concluding paragraph is in the negative.