§ MR. W. FIELDI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, seeing that the annual grant for the Science and Art Department in Great Britain has within 25 years increased from £232,293 to £754,795, but that the annual rate for Ireland has almost remained stationary, the question of technical education in Ireland will be dealt with this Session; and whether a Commission will be appointed to inquire into and report on the intermediate system?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELANDThe figures given in the first part 904 of the question are misleading, because the grants for drawing in elementary schools are included in them, and no grants are made by the Science and Art Department for drawing in National Schools in Ireland, as the National Board make their own grants. As regards the grants for museum and higher science and art instruction, I find that Ireland receives a fair proportion. The system of grants for ordinary science and art schools, which appears to succeed in England and Scotland, does not appear to succeed in Ireland, and the question of what modifications are necessary in the system is a matter for consideration. With regard to the system of intermediate education, I am by no means satisfied that it is working as satisfactorily as could be be desired; but, without looking further into the subject, I am not prepared to undertake on behalf of the Government that a Commission should be appointed to inquire into the system.