§ Mr. GOLDSTONEasked the Chief Secretary whether the Board of National Education has enacted that when one or more schools under Protestant management and with Protestant teachers is or 54W are in operation in any place and with sufficient available accommodation for the Protestant children residing in the vicinity, the Commissioners decline to grant aid to any additional school under Protestant management within a distance of less than two miles from any such school except under special conditions after due notice setting forth the exceptional circumstances of the case; whether, notwithstanding this enactment, a school under Protestant management has lately received recognition within a mile from school Roll No. 8583, also under Protestant management; whether the new school has depleted school No. 8583 of any appreciable number of children; whether any protest has been lodged on behalf of the managers of school Roll No. 8583 against the making of a Grant to the new school; and what are the exceptional circumstances that induced the Board to grant aid to the additional school?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that the rule is as stated and a similar rule applies in the case of schools under Roman Catholic managers and with Roman Catholic teachers. Finvoy school, situated about a mile away from Carrowreagh school No. 8583 on the roll, was aided by the Commissioners for one year from 31st July, 1912, on the understanding that in the meantime steps would be taken for the provision of a central school to replace these two schools. In October, 1912, it was represented to the Commissioners that six pupils who were enrolled in Finvoy school had been withdrawn from Carrowreagh school. The manager of Carrowreagh was opposed to the granting of aid to Finvoy school, but no protest was made to the Commissioners. The existing Carrowreagh school premises would not afford adequate accommodation for all the Protestant children in the vicinity of the two schools and a considerable number of the pupils enrolled in Finvoy schools reside two miles or over from any other national school under Protestant management.