CAPTAIN CRAIGI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Mr. E. Fitzgerald who recently seconded a motion which conveyed to the Cork County Committee of Technical Instruction a strong objection to impart technical instruction to British soldiers, under the auspices of any sub-committee, under any pretext whatever, and who later 109 stated that he did not confine himself to the Navy and Auxiliary Forces only, but intended to preclude Reserves, Militia, and everybody else in the employment of the British Government from the benefits of technical instruction, is the same Mr. E. Fitzgerald who has been nominated by the Crown as one of the first governing body of the constituent college at Cork of the proposed new Roman Catholic University in Dublin; and, if so, is it his intention to remove his name from the list.
§ MR. BIRRELLI understand that the Mr. E. Fitzgerald who seconded the motion in question is the gentleman of that name who has been nominated to the governing body of Cork College. The motion was not adopted as it did not comply with standing orders. I gather that Mr. Fitzgerald objected to the application of the rates to the education of military and naval people. He is reported to have said that it was the duty of the Government to provide such education and that, outside any question of patriotism, he thought it would be unfair to the ratepayers to apply the rates to any such purpose. The fact that Mr. Fitzgerald holds this opinion affords no reason why he should be removed from the governing body of Cork College.
§ MR. BIRRELLI do not know of what class Mr. Fitzgerald is.