§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if the teachers' residence connected with Edenderry National School, Portadown, county Armagh, was built from public funds; do the Commissioners of National Education pay part of the interest on the money borrowed; is the house at present let at a profit; and, if so, to whom does the profit go.
§ Mr. BIRRELLA portion of the cost of building the teachers' residence in question was provided by means of a loan from the State, the animal charge for the repayment of which has been regularly met. So long as the house was exclusively occupied as a teachers' residence the Commissioners of National Education contributed, in accordance with their regulations, a moiety of the annual charge in repayment of the loan. Since February, 1903, the house has not been 693 occupied exclusively as a teachers' residence, and the Commissioners have therefore withheld their contribution. The Commissioners have no knowledge as to the present occupancy of the house, but the manager has informed them that the recently appointed teacher is at liberty to occupy it. Until it is so occupied, the Commissioners will not renew their contribution.
§ MR. SLOANasked the right hon. Gentleman how he could account for the fact that the Commissioners had no knowledge of who occupied the teachers' house.
§ Mr. BIRRELLI cannot account for the ignorance of the Commissioners.
Mr. BIERELLsaid ho would do so. The Commissioners said that although they did not know who the present occupier was they were informed that the recently appointed teacher was at liberty to occupy.
§ Mr. SLOANwished to know how this house was occupied by a person whom the authorities knew nothing about
§ Mr. BIRRELLagain promised to make inquiries.