8. Captain CRAIGasked whether the employment of nuns in workhouse industrial schools and other public institutions in Ireland is steadily increasing; whether in consequence the expense to local taxpayers and competition with lay labour has increased; whether in many instances lay nurses and lay teachers have been dismissed in order that their places might be filled by nuns; and the numbers of such during the past six years?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe increase in the number of nuns employed in public institutions in Ireland during the last six years has been very slight. The hon. Member appears to be under a misapprehension with regard to the dismissal of lay teachers and nurses and their replacement by nuns. Nuns have always been employed in the various workhouse industrial schools to teach the girls. In one case, however, the Pelletstown Auxiliary School, which was originally provided for boys, and to which girls were sent for the first time in 1910, some of the officers were at the time of the change discharged, receiving full compensation for loss of office, and the school was placed in charge of the nuns. Lay teachers are, however, still employed there for teaching purposes.
§ Mr. BIRRELLOf course you cannot have two sets of teachers. If there were no nuns in the world I suppose other women who are not nuns would be employed.