§ MR. O'SHAUGHNESSY (Limerick, W.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he is aware that the Commissioners of National Education in a letter, dated 3rd January, 1906, to the manager of the national schools at Kilmeedy, in the county of Limerick, stated that they proposed to alter rule l94 of their rules, so that they may be empowered to award grants towards building school-houses for separate boys' and girls' schools, where an average attendance of thirty five pupils is maintained in each school; and, if so, can he say what action they have taken or intend to take in the matter.
1397 I beg also to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can say whether the Commissioners of National Education intend to devote any of the £40,000 voted for school buildings in Ireland to the building of separate boys' and girls' schools at Kilmeedy, in the county of Limerick; and, if so, when may it be available.
I beg further to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can say when will the£40,000 for national school buildings in Ireland be available for the building of new schools in places where the old buildings have been condemned by the inspector's; what are the conditions for obtaining this grant; and whether they have been declared to be realised by the Commissioners of National Education in their letter of the 3rd January, 1906, to the manager of the Kilmeedy schools in the case of the schools there; and, if so, whether a grant will be given to him, and when.
§ MR. BIRRELLI will answer these three Questions together. It is the fact that the Commissioners wrote to the manager to the effect stated in the first Question, but they also subsequently informed him that their proposal to alter the rule had not received the necessary sanction. The Commissioners, therefore, have no power to make a building grant for separate boys' and girls' schools unless the average attendance of each sex is fifty or upwards. This condition is not fulfilled in the case of the Kilmeedy schools. The £40,000 for national school buildings in Ireland is now available, and the conditions under which building grants are made are fully stated in.the Commissioners' rules, to which I would refer the hon. Member.
§ MR. O'SHAUGHNESSYDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think it desirable in the interests of education itself to alter this rule, and will he use his influence with the Commissioners of Education to bring that about?
§ MR. BIRRELLI cannot say that I think that is desirable. The number fifty is not unreasonable on the whole.