SIR ROBERT U. PENROSE FITZGERALD (Cambridge)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether any decision has been come to with reference to the application of the Governors of the Munster Dairy School that the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland should, in future, undertake the payment of two sums, one of £50 as an addition to the salary to their superintendent, Dr. Smyth, and another of £37 10s., lecture fees, both hitherto paid by the Governors out of their own funds, and also that a farm steward should be appointed to assist the superintendent; whether the application has been approved of and recommended to the Treasury by the Commissioners; and whether the application will be acceded to?
§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork City)I beg at the same time to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether any decision has been come to with reference to the application of the Governors of the Munster Dairy School that two male itinerant agricultural instructors for Munster should be appointed by the Board of National Education to lecture and advise on agriculture generally and specially with reference to the spraying of the potato crop; whether the application has been approved of and recommended to the Treasury by the Board of National Education; and whether, in view of the general failure of the potato crop last year, coupled with the success of the spraying process in individual cases where tried, and the consequent probability that the spraying process, if properly recommended this year, will be largely availed of, the Irish Government will urge on the Treasury the advisability of assenting to the recommendation of the Board of National Education, so as to make the services of the instructors available immediately?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURIt is the fact that the Governors of the Munster Dairy School and Agricultural Institute made an application of the nature indicated, and that this application was submitted to the Treasury. The Treasury, however, did not see their way to accede to the application, having regard to the 1089 proposals now under consideration for the establishment, at an early date, of a Board of Agriculture in Ireland.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALYMay I ask the right honourable Gentleman whether he has considered the special importance of the application in view of the coming year; will he consider the advisability of pressing on the Treasury that there is a special reason why this year some step should be taken?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI am quite ready to consider that suggestion, but I am afraid I can hold out no hope of giving a different reply.