§ Mr. O'MALLEYasked the Chief Secretary whether, seeing that the present system by which rigid averages govern the tenure of assistant teachers in Irish national schools was responsible for the 1445 threatening of dismissal on 623 teachers and the actual dismissal of 49 through no fault of their own in the year ended March, 1909, and seeing also that the Commissioners annually return to the Treasury an unexpended balance, a fraction of which would suffice to prevent such hardship on these teachers, he will urge on the Treasury and the National Board the urgency of remodelling the present rules, so as to give assistant teachers that security which is necessary to enable them to perform their duties with a hope of success?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI would refer the hon. Member to my replies to the questions on this subject asked by the late Member for East Kerry on the 12th July last, and by the hon. Member for South Armagh on the 25th October last. The matter is not one in which I can interfere.