§ Mr. NANNETTIasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that many of the senior, district and junior inspectors of national schools are constantly receiving objectionable letters from the National Education Office; that many of 614W these letters are written by one or other of the two chief inspectors who are generally in the office, but signed in the ordinary course of business by one or other of the two secretaries who, however, never having been inspectors, find it oftentimes quite impossible to understand their contents; and whether, as several of these four officials are now over 60 years of age and so entitled to pensions, he will, in the interests of education, suggest to the Commissioners the desirability of having them retired?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that all letters written by the secretaries are issued by the authority, general or special, of the Board or the Resident Commissioner. The Commissioners are not aware that many of the inspectors receive objectionable letters from the National Education Office. Official letters are not written by the Chief Inspectors, and there is no ground for the allegation that the secretaries do not understand their own letters. Two of the four officials referred to in the question are over 60 years of age. The answer to the concluding part of the question is in the negative.