§ MR. CHARLES CRAIG (Antrim, S.)On behalf of the hon. Member for East Down, I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether in view of the coming revision of the Irish teachers' salaries, he can state if special consideration will be given to the cases of teachers who left the training colleges in 1898 and 1899 and who obtained first division of second class with special distinction; whether he is aware that, under the rules then in force, these teachers would have received first-class salary after two years highly efficient service, and that, notwithstanding the prospects then held out, and the subsequent good reports of the Board's inspectors, many of these teachers, after a lapse of nine or ten years, are receiving only third-grade salary; and if he can state whether it is the intention of the Commissioners of National Education to promote such of the above-mentioned teachers at 39 present only third-grade, and who are principals of schools with an average of thirty and upwards, to at least second-grade.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. BIRRELL,) Bristol, N.The Commissioners of National Education inform me that the class of teachers referred to in the Question has already received full consideration and each particular case has been dealt with on its merits. My predecessor gave full particulars of the matter in reply to a Question put by the hon. Member for South Belfast on 11th April, 1906, and I would refer the hon. Member to that Answer. In reply to the concluding part of the Question, the Commissioners will in due course fully consider the claims to promotion of the teachers referred to.