§ MR. J. P. FARRELLTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland have refused to pay the salaries of teachers monthly instead of quarterly, as they do at present, solely because it 1106 would cost too much to do so; if he is aware that the Commissioners pay the salaries of the resident Commissioner, the inspectors, and the staff of the office monthly; if so, will he explain why the-same plan cannot be adopted in the case of the teachers; will he say if any members of the Commisioners' staff is more than sixty-five years of age, and, if so, why is he retained; if he will recommend the Commissioners to ask any of the other public boards who pay monthly salaries to assist and advise how to do so without incurring much additional expense; and if there is any other instance in the public service where persons in receipt of one pound a week are paid only four times yearly.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I am informed that the fact is as stated in the first paragraph. The salaries of the central and inspection staffs are paid monthly. These combined staffs number less than 200 individuals, and the payment of their salaries is not contingent on average attendance and other conditions which have to be considered in connection with payments of teachers' salaries. The number of national teachers, pupil teachers, and monitors is about 17,000, and the same plan of payment could not be adopted in their case. No member of the permanent staff is over sixty-five years of age. The question of paying the teachers' salaries is one entirely for the Commissioners themselves, and they hold that it would be quite impossible to make monthly payments without a very large increase of staff.