§ MR. J. DALY (Monaghan, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) if he will state the names of the monitors and teachers who were paid the sum of £800 that appeared on the Estimates for 1895-6, under Public Education, Ireland; (2) who are the organising teachers that £650 was paid to under Public Education, Ireland, 1895–6; and 1644 (3), if any of above sums were expended in South Monaghan; and, if so, how much?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe payments out of the sum of £800 men-in the first paragraph were made to some 1,800 individuals. It could not be stated, without an examination of the district returns, which would occupy many days, whether any portion of this sum was expended in South Monaghan, but in any case I decline to read the names of the individuals, and no public interest would be served by their publication otherwise. It does not appear that either of the two ladies, to whom payment was made out of the sum mentioned in the second paragraph, was employed in South Monaghan.
§ MR. DALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if he is aware that National School teachers have out of their own pockets to supply maps, tablets, school pictures and charts; and, if he will in the future supply these requisites free, if reported to be required by the inspector?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe requisites referred to are supplied by the Commissioners of National Education at cost price on application, accompanied by remittances, from the managers of schools. Inquiry is never made as to the sources from which the money remitted may have been obtained, but in any case it is the managers who are responsible. When new National Schools commence operations, or when existing schools are first recognised as National Schools, a free grant is made of the requisites in question, but the Commissioners have no power to supply these requisites except under the circumstances stated.