§ MR. O'MARA (Kilkenny, S.)To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any other sinking fund is applicable for the redemption of Irish land stock, except the amounts arising from payment, of annuities due for purchase of Irish land; and, if not, whether he will make provision for the application of such additional sums as will raise the quotation of land stock to a parity, with, say, Consols, 2¾(1905 issue), now quoted 91½, so that the next issue of stock will be at such a price as will not exhaust the small remaining surplus of the development grant.
| Year. | Number of Schools that obtained grants. | Number of students who presented themselves for examination | Number of students who passed. |
| 1900 | 363 | 7,608 | 5,314 |
| 1901 | 362 | 8,117 | 5,332 |
| 1902 | 268 | 8,379 | 4,938 |
| J903 | 262 | 7,909 | 4,910 |
| 1904 | 275 | 8,530 | 5,398 |
| 1905 | 288 | 9,677 | 6,665 |
| 1906 | 306 | 10,967 | 6,906 |
§ (Answered by Mr. Asquith.) The sinking fund for redemption of guaranteed 2¾ per cent. Stock is derived partly from the purchase annuities (Section 36 (2) of the Irish Land Act, 1903), partly from the Guarantee Fund (Section 36 (6)), and partly from the Vote for the Irish Land Commission (Section 47 (2)). If the object proposed by the hon. Member be to apply to this purpose a portion of the sinking fund moneys which are by law made applicable to the redemption of the National Debt, I fear that such a course would not be practicable.