§ 8. Mr. BYRNEasked the Chief Secretary whether, as the assistant teachers in Dublin national schools have at present full capitation of £8 15s. and bonus of £9 in addition to their grade salary, and as it was bound to become the established rule of the Commissioners of Irish National Education, who know the needs of Irish elementary education, that Grade 2 should be thrown open to assistants, thus bringing their total earnings to £131 per annum in the near future, he will explain in what way the new Grant is of any material advantage, either at present or in the future, to those teachers?
§ Mr. DUKEI would refer the hon. Member to my replies to his questions on the 23rd October and the 8th November.
§ 11. Mr. DILLONasked the Chief Secretary how many teachers have been specially promoted to first-of-first grade since the increase in standard numbers in 1913; how many of these were of the paper-promoted teachers of the previous years; how many claims for special promotion to first-of-first grade were left in abeyance in 1915 because the standard numbers in the grade were again almost filled; how many paper-promoted were among this number; will the claims of such teachers owing to 1366 loss of service be considered under the forthcoming new rules; and will he also state whether any Irish teachers, other than the paper-promoted, have suffered loss of salary or service either before or since the period of paper-promotion through the operation of the standard numbers rule?
§ Mr. DUKEI am informed that 105 teachers have been specially promoted to first-of-first grade since the increase in the standard numbers in 1913; that 14 of these teachers were among the paper-promoted teachers of previous years; that 29 claims for special promotion to first-of-first grade were left in abeyance in 1915, including six paper-promoted teachers. It is not proposed to make any exception in favour of the paper-promoted teachers under the new proposals. It is a fact that some teachers would have received special promotion to the first grade but for the restriction with regard to the standard numbers.
§ Mr. SCANLANWhy are these teachers, the most efficient in Ireland, whose agitation gained an extension of the standard numbers, penalised because their efficiency and length of service have brought them to a certain point in their professional careers? Why are they not given an increase?
§ Mr. DUKEThey are not given an increase because the conditions of their service at the time in question do not admit of it.
§ Mr. SCANLANDoes the right hon. Gentleman propose to penalise them by depriving them of the increase to which their qualifications and length of service entitle them?
§ Mr. DUKENo. You penalise person when you deprive him of something to which he is entitled, as I understand it. Under the conditions of service on which the Board of Education engaged these teachers they were not entitled to certain payments which have been claimed on their behalf. We do not penalise them by not giving them those payments.