§ MR. O'SHAUGHNESSY (Limerick, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if he will explain why it is that since the new programme was introduced the annual reports of the inspectors of national schools in Ireland sent to the Board of Education are not published in full.
§ MR. ATKINSONSince the introduction of the revised programme the general reports of the inspectors have ceased to be published in extenso. These, however, are carefully examined by the chief inspectors, who now report on the state of primary education in the country 538 as a whole and embody in their reports such extracts from the inspectors' reports as they consider necessary. A somewhat similar practice has been adopted by the English Board of Education for many years.
§ MR. O'SHAUGHNESSYWe are informed that these reports have been unfairly quoted by Dr. Starkie. Cannot we have them published in full so as to justify the inspectors and managers of the national schools?
§ MR. ATKINSONIt is not a matter with which the executive have anything to do. The Board of Education is supreme.