HC Deb 13 December 1906 vol 167 cc650-1
MR. MURPHY (Kerry, E.)

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, if his attention has been directed to the effect of placing the teachers who were in training colleges for a two-years course when the new-salary rules issued by the Hoard of National Education in 1900 came into operation in the lowest grade provided by these rules, whereas, according to the rules in force prior to 1900, and which were chiefly instrumental in inducing those men and women to become teachers, their salaries would have been far more satisfactory; and, if so, has he used his influence with the Commissioners of National Education to make special provision for these teachers in the salary rules which at present are under consideration.

(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I would refer the hon. Member to the very full reply which I gave, on the authority of the Commissioners of National Education, to the similar Question put by the hon. Member for South Cork on 19th June.†I would also refer him to my Answers on the same subject to the hon. Members for †See (4) Debtes, clix, 44. Newry and South Belfast on 30th March and 11th April, respectively.†The Commissioners now inform me that they have nothing to add to those replies. The hon. Member will see that the Commissioners claim to have conserved the vested rights of all teachers and teachers in training, so far as it was possible to do so, and that all exceptional cases were specially considered and dealt with.

MR. MURPHY

To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, if the Commissioners of National Education made application to the Treasury for a grant for the purpose of making the salaries of those teachers who were undergoing a two years course in the training colleges when the new rules of 1900 came into operation more in accordance with what they would have been did the old rules which induced those teachers to enter their profession still hold; and, if so, has the application been favourably considered, and if it has been rejected will he say on what grounds.

(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) It would be contrary to the established practice to give particulars of the correspondence which passes between Departments of the Government, but the hon. Member will gather from my reply to the preceding Question that no necessity arose for any communication in the present case, seeing that the Commissioners hold that they duly conserved existing rights.