§ MR. O'DOHERTYI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, in view of the practice of the Post Office Department in making appointments to post-masterships in Wales at places where Welsh is spoken to ascertain that the candidate whom it is proposed to appoint possesses a knowledge of the Welsh language, whether, before appointing postmasters in Ireland in future in districts where Irish is spoken, the Department will ascertain that the candidates proposed to be appointed possess a knowledge of the Irish language.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINAs I have already stated in reply to previous 459 questions, no inconvenience has been found to arise from ignorance of the Irish language on the part of officers of the Post Office employed in Ireland, and it is not thought necessary to take any special steps to ensure that such knowledge shall be possessed by them.