HC Deb 28 March 1906 vol 154 cc1279-80
MR. CHARLES DEVLIN (Galway)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that at a meeting held on February 22nd the Galway Technical Institute Committee passed a resolution approving of the appointment and payment of an examination secretary; that their action in this matter was prompted by reason of the growing work and heavy correspondence attending examinations; that the resolution was duly forwarded to Dublin to be dealt with by the Board of the Department of Technical Instruction at their meeting on March 15th; that, whereas two other subjects dealing with the case of an art pupil teacher and the appointment of an assistant teacher forwarded at the same time by the Galway Committee for consideration by the Board were reserved for the meeting on the 15th of March, the resolution dealing with the appointment of a paid secretary was not so reserved, but was. previously dealt with and disallowed by officials; will he say who were the officials who considered this matter; upon what ground they based their action; and is he aware that paid examination secretaries are appointed in England.

MR. BRYCE

I am informed by the-Department of Agriculture that the: matters referred to in the Question as having been submitted to the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction by the Galway Technical Instruction Committee were not matters for submission to the Board of Technical Instruction, and consequently none of them were brought before that Board. The Department have been in communication with the Committee with reference to the duties of their principal executive officer, but are unable to approve of the proposal to appoint an examination secretary to assist that officer. The Department are satisfied that the duties of that officer are not excessive, and under the terms of his appointment the duties of examination secretary are imposed upon him, and could not well be delegated to any other person. The Department do not know if paid secretaries are appointed in England.