§ MR. P. A. MCHUGH (Leitrim, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Resident Commissioner of National Education in Ireland wrote on the 23rd March last to the Very Rev. John Melvin, parish priest, manager of Kilrusheightey National School, county Sligo, informing him that the Commissioners would be surcharged by the Auditor-General if the salary of the principal teacher of the school was increased by giving him credit for the sum of £7 14s. 6d., which he had earned for tuition in agriculture within the three years ended 31st March, 1900; if so, will he explain to the House the circumstances under which the Resident Commissioner endeavours to transfer to the Auditor-General the responsibility of the Commissioners of National Education for a failure to comply with Rule 200 in calculating the consolidated income of the principal teacher of the school mentioned; has this case been submitted to the Auditor-General; and is that official entitled to supervise the Commissioners' interpretation of Rule 200.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. WYNDHAM,) DoverThe reply to the first inquiry is in the affirmative. Payments made by the Commissioners in such cases are governed by regulations which have been approved by Government and the Treasury, and are audited by the Controller and Auditor-General, who is authorised by statute to surcharge any payment made in contravention of the regulations. The case in question has not come under the notice of the Controller and Auditor-General because no payment was made.
§ MR. P. A. MCHUGHI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland were bound, under Rule 200, to take into account all sums 1361 earned by teachers from State sources for work actually performed within the three years ended 31st March, 1904; that the principal teacher of Kilrusheightey (county Sligo) was paid a sum of £7 14s. 6d. for tuition in agriculture given within the period stated; that the manager of this school, Very Rev. John Melvin, P.P., has repeatedly insisted that that sum (£7 14s. 6d.) should have been taken into account by the Commissioners when fixing the teacher's consolidated income; and that the Commissioners have refused to take it into account; and, if so, will he say under what authority have the Commissioners departed in this case from the provisions of Rule 200; and has the manager any appeal from their decision.
§ MR.WYNDHAM; The period referred to in Rule 200 is the triennial period ended 31st March, 1900. Subject to this correction the reply to the first inquiry is in the negative. The consolidated incomes of teachers were calculated on emoluments actually paid within that period. The payment in the present instance was not so made, and in any case it was never contemplated by the Rules, as I have already explained, that grants covering services in respect of a period of six months should be continued in perpetuity under the form of consolidated income. The Commissioners reserved to themselves, with the approval of the Treasury, the right to give special consideration to cases in which any of the regulations in Rule 200 would operate inequitably. This right was exercised in a large number of cases at considerable additional expenditure. The claim of the Rev. Mr. Melvin was also several times considered by them, but they saw no reason for coming to the conclusion that it could be sustained.