§ MR. BOLAND (Kerry, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Board of National Education has decided on the new plans for schools, seeing that the matter has now been under consideration for a long period: and, if so, can he say whether information has been given to managers throughout the country who have been handicapped by the delay that has taken place.
§ MR. JOSEPH DEVLIN (Kilkenny, N.)At the same time, may I ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state the number of applications that have been made by managers to the Commissioners of National Education for building grants since 1901; the number of grants made, and the number of applications unattended to; whether he is aware that, notwithstanding the fact that several of the old buildings have been condemned by the Board's inspectors, a number of applications are still unattended to; and whether he can state when the new plans will be ready and what is the cause of the delay.
§ MR. WYNDHAMI will at the same time reply to both Questions. Two hundred and seventy-two applications for building grants have been received from managers since 1st January, 1901. Grants have been made in seventy of these cases; twenty-two applications were rejected; twenty-two were withdrawn; in 107 cases the applicants have decided to await the issue of the revised plans; and in the remaining fifty-one cases inquiries are proceeding. No applications have been unattended to by the Commissioners. The Financial Secretary to the Treasury stated on the 26th May last year† that a decision on the recommendations of the Committee on Building Grants would be deferred until
†See (4) Debates cxxii., 1791.1177 the inquiry into the educational system in Ireland is completed. The Report on that inquiry is at present engaging the consideration of the Government.