§ MR. MCKILLOP (Armagh, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the Armagh Hoard of Guardians, by resolution of 29th July, 1902, voted a retiring allowance to Miss M'Ghee, asis- 934 tant teacher, and that in March, 1903, she was deprived of her employment, and from, that period has received no remuneration or allowance; and can he say why the superannuation allowance has been withheld from Miss M'Ghee.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I have already referred the hon. Member to my reply to the Question of the hon. Member for South Down on 28th June.† which gives full details of the matter in question. The guardians originally proposed to abolish the offices of schoolmistress and assistant teacher, and to send the workhouse children to extern schools. Conditional upon the adoption of this proposal, the guardians proposed to grant superannuation allowances to the then holders of the offices in question, of whom Miss McKee was the assistant teacher. The Local Government Board were unable to approve of the main proposal, and subsequently the guardians, despite that Board's protest, dispensed with Miss McKee's services, and the Board had no power to prevent them from doing so.