HC Deb 27 February 1908 vol 185 cc63-5
MR. JOHN O'CONNOR, (Kildare, N.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland can he state what steps have been taken to use the £40,000 per annum for three years granted in respect of school buildings in Ireland; in how many cases have new school-houses been approved by the Commissioners, and in how many have they advanced money, and, if any, how much; in how many cases have managers submitted special plans, and in how many cases have the Board of Works submitted special plans; has there been any delay in the consideration of the former and in the preparation of the latter; and, if so, what is the cause of the delay; and whether, if there are any arrears in prospective school building, steps will be immediately taken to clear off the same.

MR. CHERRY

Since the month of April last, when a settlement was arrived at upon the general questions affecting school buildings and grants, new plans for seventeen types of schools and the specifications thereof have been settled between the Commissioners of National Education and the Board of Works. The Commissioners have provisionally approved of the erection of new school-houses in 266 cases, and have sanctioned grants to the amount of £26,571 in fifty-six of these cases. In these latter cases leases of the sites have to be prepared and executed before advances can be made, and the work is being proceeded with as rapidly as possible. The advances are made by the Board of Works by instalments as the work of building proceeds. Since 1st April advances have been made in eighty-three cases, the amount advanced being £3,981. In fifty-four cases special plans have been submitted by managers to the Commissioners of National Education. The Board of Works do not submit special plans, but they prepare and issue to the managers the standard official plans and specifications. No avoidable delay has occurred in the examination and consideration of special plans. Any delay which may have occurred is due to the fact that in very many cases the plans have had to be returned to the managers' architects for revision. Full provision has been made in both. Departments for dealing without delay with the work in connection with school building.