§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why it is that the Estimates for public education in England and Scotland show an increase of nearly half a million over last year; while the Estimate for Irish education is more than £3,000 below last year's; whether in arriving at this estimate he took into account the fact that there are over 20,000 students attending secondary schools in Ireland receiving no grant from the Treasury for their education, and that the same applies to the 30,000 boys attending the Christian Brothers' schools; and will he consider, seeing that England gets nearly £1,000,000 and Scotland £250,000 for secondary education, whether Ireland is entitled to any grant for this purpose?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEFor an explanation of the increase in the English and Scotch Education Estimates I would refer the hon. Member to the Memorandum by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (House of Commons 63). The Estimates for Public Education in England and Scotland make provision for grants to secondary schools, technical institutions, etc., which in Ireland are provided for, not under the Vote for Public Education, but either under the Vote for the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction or by the statutory endowment of that Department and of the Board of Intermediate Education. The last part of the question is one for the consideration, in the first place, of my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary for Ireland.