Mr. COSGRAVEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if his attention has been called to a Resolution passed by the Gal-way Teachers' Organisation calling attention to the insufficiency of Government grants for Irish primary education, requesting that the full equivalent of nine-eightieths of the contemplated grant of £6,000,000 for English elementary education be devoted to education in Irish primary schools, pointing out that the salaries of English teachers are already 40 per cent. higher than those of Irish teachers, and that the proposed increased grant will make the English teachers' income double that of the Irish teacher; and whether he will make representations to the Treasury on the subject, with a view to having Irish teachers paid adequately?
§ Mr. DUKEI have seen a copy of the resolution referred to, and the Board of National Education inform me that resolutions dealing with the matter have been passed by a number of branches of the teachers' organisation. As I stated on Monday in answer to the hon. Member for West Kerry, the other matters mentioned in the question are engaging the attention of the Government.
§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will state the cause of the delay in paying secondary schools in Ireland the Schools Grant of £40,000; whether he is aware that this money is now considerably overdue; and, as schools which complied with the rules have suffered by the delay, will he take steps to have this grant paid immediately to those schools that have complied with the conditions?
§ Mr. DUKEThere has been no delay in the payment of the teachers' salaries grant for the year 1916–17 which has now been disbursed. Payment on former occasions was made at the end of each financial year.