§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that pupils were recently expelled from Cloughoula male National School (Mill Street district) by order of the managers, on the grounds of insufficient accommodation; (2) what number of pupils is the school certified to accommodate, what is the average attendance, and what number were in attendance when the pupils were expelled; and (3) whether the Commissioners of Education have taken any steps to have the school enlarged; if so, with what result?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe facts are substantially its stated in the first paragraph. The manager of the school in question is manager also of the Mill Street National School in the same locality, and he explains that the children concerned belonged to the neighbourhood of the latter school which hits ample accommodation for them. The Cloughoula school is certified to accommodate 56 pupils; the average daily attendance for the quarter ended 30th June was 71 and the average attendance at the time of the expulsion of pupils was 72. The Commissioners made an offer to the manager of a grant-in-aid of the cost of enlargement of the school, and the manager has expressed his intention to enlarge the premises at a future date when practicable.
§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the increment due after 1st 1594 April 1897, will be paid according to the new scale, 1s. 6d. per week, to Irish postmen; and, if so, from what date?
§ MR. HANBURYThe new scales took effect from the 1st of April last. On that date the postmen's pay was increased by the proportion of any increment which they had earned at the old rate of 1s. a year, arid they are now qualifying for an increment at the new rate of 1s. 6d. a year which they will receive on the 1st April next.