§ MR. W. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether the compulsory Education Act of 1892, although formerly adopted by the Town Commissioners of Blackrock, county Dublin, over two years ago, cannot be carried into full operation owing to the refusal of the Town Commissioners to vote any of the funds required by the school attendance committee; (2) whether said refusal is based upon an opinion of the Town Commissioners' counsel to the effect that the attendance committee is not legally constituted, owing to the irregularity on the part of the National Education Board in the method of appointing the committee: (3) whether the official law adviser of the National Education Board holds that the committee is legally constituted: (4) whether, owing to this difference of legal opinion, the Town Commissioners still hesitate to vote the funds, although expressing themselves desirous of having the provisions of the Act enforced to their township; (5) whether the school attendance committee's officers in Black-rock have been working for more than two years past without pay; and (6) whether 267 the National Education Board, whose action is questioned on legal grounds, will take steps to have the legal doubt authoritatively removed or, failing this, whether the Government in their promised Bill to amend the Act of 1892 will make provision for legalising, where necessary, such school attendance committees, and paying such of the committees' officers as may be in the same position as are the committee and its officers in Blackrock, county Dublin?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe Town Commissioners of Blackrock refuse to pay the expenses of the School Attendance Committee on the ground that the provisions of the Act of 1892, as regards the constitution of the Committee have not been complied with. The replies to the second, third, fourth, and fifth paragraphs are all in the affirmative. As to the last paragraph, I do not think it would be possible for the National Board, under the circumstances, to obtain the decision of a Court of Law on the point at issue, and this being so I do not see what they can do beyond what they have already done. The matter is one that would naturally be dealt with by any Amending Bill.