§ Mr. DELANYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that the girls' national school at Rathdowney, Queen's County, has been repeatedly condemned as unsanitary by the inspectors; that the manager, the Very Reverend Canon Brunnan, P.P., applied some two years ago for a grant to help to build a new school; that a site has been obtained, the plans approved and lodged, and the materials drawn and deposited on the new site, but that so far no funds are forthcoming to proceed with the work; and will he say when the grant is likely to be made, or whether this is one of the applications placed on the list as urgent?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that the Rathdowney Convent School is too small, badly ventilated, and altogether unsuitable. An application for a grant to build a new schoolhouse was received from the manager in May, 1909. The preliminary investigations in connection with the application have been completed, and the plans have been approved, but the Commissioners have no information as to whether materials have been drawn to the proposed site. The case is included in the list of applications requiring immediate attention which was submitted to the Treasury in December last, but the Commissioners have not indicated that the case is more urgent than many others, and I cannot therefore take any special steps with regard to it.