§ Mr. O'MALLEYasked whether cheques for Grants payable by the National Board of Education to the Connaught Irish College for certificate holders who have taught Irish to the satisfaction of the Board, have been returned by the Paymaster-General in Dublin Castle, and payment refused on the ground that the signature of the payee was written in Irish characters; whether he is aware that Irish signatures are now accepted by all the leading banks and by public offices; whether he will direct that this treatment of the Irish language by the office of the Paymaster-General shall cease; whether the estimate of the National Board of Education for the payment of the expenses of national teachers attending the Gaelic colleges for the purpose of qualifying for the teaching of Irish was forwarded to the Treasury for 975 approval; and, if so, on what grounds it was refused; and, if it was not forwarded to the Treasury, what official was responsible, and what were his reasons?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am informed that in one case recently a draft was returned by the Deputy Paymaster-General owing to the signature of the payee being written in Irish characters. I have no information as to the action of the leading banks in this matter, but signatures in Irish are not accepted in Government Offices paid through the Deputy Paymaster-General. I have no power to give the direction suggested in the question. The Commissioners of National Education recommended to the Treasury that provision should be made in the Estimates for 1912–13 for defraying the travelling expenses incurred by the national teachers in attending special colleges for the teaching of Irish and also for paying the entrance fee. The Commissioners have since been informed that the Treasury have been unable to agree to this provision being made.