DEBATES ON REPORTS. - IRISH.
The adoption of the Report of the Department of Irish was proposed by the ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR IRISH and seconded by the SUBSTITUTE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE.
P. BEASLAI (Kerry, East) asked were there any instructions' sent to the Comhairlí Ceanntair as regards the selection of Parliamentary Candidates with a knowledge of Irish.
P. O'KEEFFE (Cork, North) said there were not, but they would find when the returns came in that they would have a bigger proportion of Irish speakers in the House than after the 1918 Elections. He objected strongly to the complaint made in the Report on this point. Very little progress could be made if they got nothing else from the Gaelic League but destructive criticism.
The SUBSTITUTE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE asked if any further money was required for the schemes they were bringing forward.
The ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR IRISH, in reply to the Member for North Cork, explained that he merely mentioned in his Report that a reference should have been made in the Circulars issued by Sinn Fein to the desirability of candidates possessing a knowledge of the Irish Language. No further money was required by that Department.
The PRESIDENT remarked that it was the business of the Department of Irish to send a recommendation to the Election Department of Sinn Fein before the issue of the Circulars. The Department of Irish should always be on the watch for such occasions and the responsibility was on that Department.
The Report was adopted.