§ MR. NOLAN (Louth, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether Mr. E. Downing, late chief inspector under the Irish Board of National Education, made any report on the state of education in Ireland since that published in the Appendix to the 68th Report of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland for the year 1901; if so, why his report is not published in the Appendix to the 69th Report or in the Appendix to the 70th Report recently issued; will he cause such a report to be laid on the Table of the House; and whether, if Mr. Downing's report was not presented to the Board as customary, he can state why the usual course was dispensed with on this occasion.
§ MR. WALTER LONGYes, Sir; both of the chief inspectors, Messrs. Downing and Purser, made general reports for 1902 which were not published. These reports consisted largely of extracts taken from the reports of the senior inspectors, and the Commissioners decided that it was preferable to publish the latter reports in their entirety. This 479 was accordingly done. Mr. Downing did not furnish any subsequent report. He has since retired from the service.