§ MR. ENGLEDOWI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he will consider the desirability of recommending to the consideration of the Commissioners of 152 National Education, Ireland, the justice of placing all national school teachers on the same footing with regard to the number of years' service and the amount allowed for each year's service when calculating an officer's pension as all civil servants in Ireland, and also of making some allowance to each teacher, on his retiring, for his services before he had reached the age of 21 years?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThis Question involves further extension of the benefits that were provided under the rules issued pursuant to the Teachers' Pension Act of 1879. These rules were revised in December 1885, and the benefits to the teachers materially increased. The action then taken has been regarded by the Treasury as in excess of the capacity of the pension fund and a main cause of its since become insolvent. Under present circumstances there seems to be no warranty for recommending that the rate of pension to teachers should be determined on the same principles as those of civil servants, or that service rendered under the minimum age prescribed by the pension rules of 1885 should be counted.