§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether 27 senior district inspectors of national schools in Ireland are allowed to use their own horses and cars when on official duty, and are paid a reasonable mileage rate therefore; whether junior inspectors, who do practically the same kind of work, have been refused the privilege; and, if so, will he explain the reason for this difference in treatment, especially as the Treasury loses thereby, hired horses and cars generally costing more than the mileage allowed to senior and district inspectors when using their own vehicles.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Commissioners of National Education inform me that both senior and junior inspectors of national schools are allowed to use their own horses and cars when travelling on official business, provided that the circumstances of the locality in which they are employed are such as to render this course desirable in the interests of efficient discharge of duty and economy in expenditure, the mileage rate sanctioned by the Treasury being allowed in such cases. Three members of the inspection staff, of whom one is a junior inspector, are at present authorised to use their own horses and cars.