§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Commissioners of National Education have received a petition from the National teachers of District No. 60, pointing out the hardship, which will result to them in fixing their future salaries under the new rules owing to the results of the examination held in the district for the year ending 30th April, 1898; whether he is aware that this examination was held by an inspector performing temporary duty in the district, that the results fees awarded as the result of this examination were below the average received by the teachers affected before and subsequently, and that there have been several complaints as to the character of the reports of this gentleman both in this and other districts; and whether, seeing that his reports in this district reflected injuriously on many teachers who both previously and subsequently had got excellent reports both for skill in teaching and the general management of their schools, the Commissioners propose to accede to the prayer of the petition that in calculating the future income of the teachers of this district the year in question will be excluded and another year selected instead.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURRepresentations have been received by the Commissioners to the effect stated in the first and second paragraphs. The matter will require careful consideration and is at present engaging their attention.