§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland how many professors of the Queen's College, Cork, have, during the past five years, less than an average of twelve students to attend their lectures, and in what branches of knowledge has there been so limited an attendance at lectures and what are the salaries of the professors; whether, in view of the fact that in the session of 1903–4 the Professor of Law in Queen's College, Cork, had only three pupils, the Professor of Greek had only three pupils, the Professor of Latin had only four pupils, and the Professors of Logic, Metaphysics, and Political Economy had no pupils at 40 all, what explanation, if any, has he to give for the expenditure of £12,000 per annum annually voted by Parliament for the maintenance of this institution.
(Answered by Mr. Atkinson.) During the past five years there have been four professors whose average attendance of students has not exceeded twelve. During the same period the total number of students has increased from 170 to 243. It would be impossible, in the form of an Answer to a Question, to discuss the point whether the expenditure mentioned in the last query is justified by these results.