§ MR. THOMAS O'DONNELL (Kerry, W.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Commissioners of National Education have on several occasions asked for grants to give prizes and scholarships to brilliant boys in Irish national schools, so as to graduate in a technical school or in a University; and whether the Treasury have in every case refused.
§ MR. THOMAS O'DONNELLTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland, with a view to encouraging national teachers to obtain University degrees, have asked for funds to give a special bonus to teachers who have succeeded in obtaining University degrees; and whether, seeing the importance of this matter, in view of the establishment of popular Universities in Ireland, the Treasury will consider the justice of this claim by the education authorities in Ireland.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) It is the fact that the Commissioners of National Education have asked for grants for the purposes mentioned in these two Questions, but the Government have not found it possible to grant their requests. I would remind the hon. Member that a considerable grant is now being made for the more pressing purpose of increasing the emoluments of the teachers generally.