§ MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Board of Intermediate Education consists of an equal number of Protestants and Roman Catholics, 1416 with two paid assistant commissioners, one a Protestant and the other a Roman Catholic; that the principle has always been recognised that a due proportion of the Protestant members should be Presbyterians; and that the office of assistant, commissioner has been held for some twenty years by a member of the Church of Ireland; and whether, seeing that there were five Presbyterian candidates; possessing the highest qualifications for the recent vacancy, he can explain why their claims were again passed over in favour of a member of the Church of Ireland.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe number of members on the Board of Intermediate Education was fixed at seven by the Act of 1878. The Board then consisted of three Roman Catholics, three Church of Ireland, and one Presbyterian. In 1880 the number of Presbyterian members was increased to two, and the number of Church of Ireland members reduced to two. This proportion was maintained down to last year when the strength of the Board was increased by Act to twelve members. The Board now consists of six Roman Catholics, three Church of Ireland, and three Presbyterians. The selection of a Church of Ireland candidate for the vacant assistant commissioner-ship was not made on the principle suggested in the second paragraph.