§ MR. P. A. McHUGH (Sligo, N.)To ask the Chief-Secretary to the Lord 174 Lieutenant of Ireland what is the number of teachers in the service of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland who have completed forty years service or more, reckoned from the actual date of their appointment as principal or assistant teachers; what yearly sum in addition to the reduced pensions to which they would be now entitled on voluntary resignation would be required to allow these public servants to retire on full pension; whether representations have been made at any time to the Treasury by the Commissioners of National Education that the addition of a number of years to their actual service should be made so as to qualify a certain section of teachers to full pension; and what has been the reply of the Treasury to these representations.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I am informed that it would take a considerable time to prepare a Return of the number of teachers who fall within the description contained in the first part of the Question, and that an elaborate actuarial investigation would be necessary in order to answer the second part of the Question. It does not seem that any useful purpose would be served by procuring the information asked for under these heads, and I do not, therefore, propose to put the Departments concerned to the trouble of preparing it. The Commissioners of National Education have made representations to the Irish Government to the effect mentioned in the third part of the Question, and the matter is under consideration.