§ * MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM (Cork County, N.E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will explain the cause of delay, on the part of the Commissioners of National Education, Ireland, in taking into consideration applications for building grants for the erection of schoolhouses, having regard to the fact that many old schoolhouses are in a dilapidated condition, and have boen condemned by the inspectors of the board; whether his attention has been called to the condition of the schoolhouse at Killavallen, county Cork, concerning which an inspector reported to the Board of National Education, six years ago, that the building was positively dangerous, and to the fact that although the manager, at the urgent request of the Board, has provided a site for a double schoolhouse, and made an application in due course for a building grant, he has been recently informed that the Board are not in a position to further consider his application; and whether, seeing that the state of this schoolhouse is such that it will require to be closed on the approach of winter, he will represent to the Board of National Education the necessity of making a grant in this case so that a new schoolhouse may be provided without further delay.
MR. BRYCEThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that they are aware of the unsatisfactory condition, of the Killavullen schoolhouse, and that the site provided by the manager for a. new building has been approved by the Commissioners and the Board of Works. The general question of building grants has not yet been definitely settled, but the Irish Government are prepared to recommend urgent cases, such as that of Killavullen, to the favourable consideration of the Treasury, without waiting for a settlement of the general question; and I will communicate further with the Commissioners on the subject with the object of arranging that this case may at once, be dealt with.
§ MR. DILLONArising out of that answer may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether in his opinion this most vital question will ever be settled. It has 383 now been the subject of communication between the Board of Education and the Treasury for more than six years, and although we have been repeatedly promised a settlement, it has not yet been reached.
* MR. BRYCEsaid he had given great attention to this matter for a very long time, and very substantial progress had been made towards a settlement.