§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. G. W. BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralI have to ask for leave to bring in a Bill to amend Section 18 of the Irish Education Act, 1892. The Commissioners of National Education in Ireland have in hand the reorganisation of the system of payment of the teaching staffs in the National schools. The public funds which they have at present at their disposal for the payment of teachers are, first, the money voted annually by the House, but not under any particular Act of Parliament; and, secondly, the school grants voted under the Education Act of 1892. With regard to the money not voted by any special Act, it is open to the Commissioners and the Treasury to make such arrangements as they think best for the administration of such funds, but the distribution of the school grants is determined by the fourth schedule of the Act of 1892. What the Bill proposes to do is to repeal that schedule in order; to enable the Commissioners to deal with the school grants with exactly the same free hand as they are able to deal with the moneys annually voted by Parliament.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)I only desire to say a few words. I do not intend to discuss the Bill, which is an extremely simple one, but I hope that on the Second Reading, or on the Education Vote, an opportunity will be given for the discussion of the new rules which are now being drafted by the Commissioners of Education.
§ Bill to amend Section 18 of the Trish Education Act, 1892, ordered to be brought in by Mr. Gerald Balfour, Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, and Mr. Horace Plunkett.