§ MR. PATRICK M'HUGH (Leitrim, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) how many applications for re-examination for results fees in the Irish National Schools in district 12 (Sligo) have been made since the present inspector took charge of it in May 1896; (2) how many of these have been refused, and on what grounds; (3) is there any other district in Ireland in which so large a number of similar applications have been made and refused within the same period; and (4) what is the total number of schools and of pupils examined for results fees, and the amount of results fees awarded in district 12 (Sligo) for each of the years ending 30th April, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, and 1897?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThree applications were made of the nature indicated in the first paragraph, of which 715 one was withdrawn and the remaining two were refused, as the Commissioners saw no sufficient reason for ordering a re-examination. A similar number of applications were rejected in the cases of several other districts. I have forwarded to the hon. Member the statistics asked for in the fourth paragraph, as it would not be convenient to give the information in the form of an answer to a question.