§ * SERJEANT HEMPHILL (Tyrone, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the 1117 Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state upon what grounds the Commissioners of National Education for Ireland refused to allow Mr. Patrick Molloy to continue as principal teacher of Drum-beg National School, county Tyrone (District 6, Roll No. 7,151), notwithstanding that Mr. Molloy was appointed by the manager as such principal teacher on the 10th of March, 1900, and is a holder of a teacher's certificate, such appointment having been notified to the Commissioners on the said 10th of March; and whether there was any, and, if so, what rule in force at the time of Mr. Molloy's appointment which authorised his being deprived of his office of principal teacher; when such rule, if any, was made; and when was it communicated to the manager of the said Drumbeg National School.
§ MR. G. W. BALFOURMr. Patrick Molloy, an untrained teacher, was appointed principal teacher of the school referred to by the manager on the 1st April, 1900, but the latter, on receiving the Commissioners' circular notifying that only trained teachers could be put in charge of schools as principals after that date, appointed another teacher in the room of Mr. Molloy. The rule requiring the qualification of training in the case of principal teachers takes effect from 1st April, 1900. No notification of Mr. Molloy's appointment was received by the Commissioners before the 1st April, and his appointment was apparently not antecedent to that date.