§ Mr. FFRENCHasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he has seen a resolution, passed by the New Ross Urban District Council, referring to the fact that the council, having introduced technical education in New Ross, finds that the scheme is hampered by the want of sufficient funds, and expressing a hope that the Treasury will grant the full demand of the Department of Agriculture; and whether he can hold out any hope that the demand will be complied with?
§ Mr. DUKEI have been asked to reply. I have seen a copy of the resolution referred to, but I cannot add anything to the written answer I gave on Monday to a question by the hon. Member for Cork City.
§ Mr. SCANLANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland what was unsatisfactory 2256W during the year from 13th March, 1905, to 13th March, 1906, in the work or conduct of Mr. Newell, late inspector of national schools, that led to his annual increment of £15, accruing due on the latter date, not being awarded then or ever afterwards; if there was nothing definitely unsatisfactory, will he say why the certificate was not given, as said to be required by Order in Council of 29th November, 1898, which states specifically that increment depends on work and conduct of the preceding year; and if he is aware that Mr. Newell's salary during the next four or five years and his pension afterwards have been materially lessened by the stoppage or non-payment in question?
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he is aware that in December, 1902, the local senior inspector of national schools in Limerick complained to the Education Office that Mr. Newell, local district inspector, would not carry out a particular order of his; that the senior inspector in question had no authority whatever to direct Mr. Newell to do as mentioned and that, if Mr. Newell had done so, he would have been breaking the Board's own regulations and leaving himself open to serious censure; that, notwithstanding this, the resident Commissioner suspended Mr. Newell without going through even the formality of consulting any of the other nineteen Commissioners or returning to Mr. Newell in the regular way the complaint in question for his observations; that at an inquiry subsequently held by the two chief inspectors Mr. Newell was proved to have been right and the senior inspector wrong; whether he is aware that the resident Commissioner's action was entirely due to personal animosity on his part, owing to a near relative of Mr. Newell's having shortly before protested in the public Press against an address delivered by Mr. Starkie in Belfast in September, 1902; and whether any action will be taken in the matter?
§ Mr. O'DOHERTYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he will state the number of paper-promoted Irish national teachers who have retired on 2257W pension with arrears of grade salary or good service salary still withheld from them; what amount of their earned wages has been withheld; by how much have their pensions been diminished in consequence; on what grounds such withholding of salaries and diminution of pensions has taken place; and whether, seeing the need of both teachers and pensioned teachers in the present circumstances, he will take steps to have arrears of salaries and pensions paid and to have the latter raised to the stipulated figures?
§ Mr. DUKEThe particulars asked for could only be ascertained by an expenditure of much time and money, and I am not prepared to ask the Commissioners of National Education to undertake the laborious investigations which would be necessary. As to the general question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Cork on the 13th November.