§ Mr. THOMAS O'DONNELLasked if he will explain why the Commissioners of National Education do not pay expenses to teachers who attend lectures at the Irish colleges (Dingle, Ballingeary, etc.), while expenses are paid to those who attend courses in cookery, kindergarten, physics, rural economy, etc.?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners have no funds out of which they could pay the expenses of teachers who attend the colleges referred to for the purpose of learning Irish. A qualified substitute may be employed by the teacher of a national school during his attendance at any of these classes, and the service of such substitute is recognised as service given by the teacher. A payment of £5 is made to the college for each teacher who passes the examination at the end of the course, and who subsequently teaches Irish satisfactorily in a public school for one year. The Commissioners have not so far recognised a college for the teaching of Irish at Dingle.