§ MR. J. DEVLIN (Belfast, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Belfast Corporation has refused to form a class for the teaching of Irish in connection with the municipal technical institute, whilst maintaining classes for the study of French and other foreign languages; and, if so, whether, seeing that the London County Council has recognised the value of the Irish language, and of Irish literature and history, by the establishment of several classes for the study of these, and in view of the importance of having its wealthy and intelligent citizens possessed of some knowledge of the language, literature, and history of their country, he will communicate with the local authority with a view to having Irish language classes established in connection with the municipal technical institute in Beliast.
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLThe Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction have no official knowledge of the action referred to on the part of the Technical Instruction Committee of the Belfast Corporation. The question of subjects most suitable to the circumstances of a county borough is one for the discretion of the local authority.