§ Mr. FIELDasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that head masters of model schools in Ireland have now and have always had either free residences or rent allowances from the Treasury, and that prior to 1900 head mistresses of model schools had also from the same source rent allowances of £20 2112W each per annum, and that principal teachers, both men and women, of all ordinary national schools are entitled to residences provided mainly from State sources; whether he is aware that model school head mistresses appointed since 1900 are the only principal teachers not entitled to residences or rent allowances from the Treasury, the rent allowance paid to them being made out of the school fees collected from pupils attending the model schools, with the result that a portion of these fees, which should go to supplement the salaries of model school teachers generally, is used in the payment of a Grant formerly made by the Treasury; and whether he will arrange that the Treasury will, with a view to removing this grievance of model school teachers, see that the rent allowance in question be paid from State sources, as was formerly the case?
Mr. SAMUELThe head masters of model schools are either provided with a free residence or with a Grant from State sources for house rent. Prior to the year 1884 it was set forth in the rules of the Commissioners of National Education that the salary paid to model school head mistresses out of the Parliamentary Vote included a sum of £20 per annum in respect of lodging allowance. Principal teachers of ordinary national schools are not entitled in all cases to residences provided mainly from State sources. Numbers of such teachers occupy residences provided from local sources and for many of them no provision has been made in respect of a residence. In a considerable number of cases, principal teachers of ordinary national schools occupy residences which were built by means of a loan obtained from the State. One-half of the annual sum required for repayment of such loans is provided by the Commissioners out of the Parliamentary Vote. The other half is provided from local sources, and is in a large proportion of the cases paid by the teachers. Under an arrangement sanctioned in the year 1905 school fees collected from model school pupils which had been required up to that time to be paid over to the Treasury, were allowed to be distributed between the model school teachers. The scheme sanctioned by the Treasury for the allocation of these fees provides for the payment out of them of a Grant of £20 in respect of house rent for each model school head mistress appointed since April, 1900. As regards the last part of the question, I would refer to 2113W the reply which I gave on Wednesday last to a question of the hon. Member for the Leix Division of Queen's County.