I gave notice to-day that I would raise, on the adjournment, the question of the method of the appointment of a teacher in the Rathbarry National School, in the Co. Cork. On the face of it, perhaps the matter would be a small one, and it might be considered stretching my privileges as a Deputy to be raising it on the adjournment. But the principle involved is very important, and that is my excuse for raising it. It is a fact that there is a rule adopted by the Department of Education in regard to the appointment of teachers as principals of schools. That rule is that in schools with an attendance ranging from 50 to 90 the teacher appointed as principal must have five years' efficient service and experience, and that rule was adopted by the Department of Education as a result of representations made to them by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation. This is a rule that has been much appreciated by the I.N.T.O., as it affords the teachers very considerable protection. I may state that I have no personal reasons for raising this matter. I am simply concerned with the principle underlying the rule, and I may mention I am bringing the matter forward at the request of the teachers and their organisation.
The facts are briefly as follows:—In June, 1925, the teacher who taught in this school, resigned. A new teacher was afterwards appointed, subject to sanction from the Department of Education. From the documents before me here, and from the Minister's reply to-day, the attitude of the Department, as I understand it, is that exceptional circumstances prevailed, and led to the sanction of this appointment by the Department of Education. Now the excuse is that exceptional circumstances prevailed. My case is that there were no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, and in support of that argument I quote the fact that the average attendance in that school for the year in which the appointment was made, 1925, was higher than in any year for the previous twenty-one years, except one. For the period ending 30th June, 1925, the average was 70.4, with 98 pupils on the roll. The average for the other years compare favourably with that figure, except the year 1924. Now it is only to be expected that as a result of the Compulsory School Attendance Bill which will be law shortly, the average will be enhanced considerably. The Minister stated, to-day, in reply to my question, that there were other reasons. At least I gathered that from his reply. I am suggesting that there were not other reasons, and that the Department of Education embarked on a very serious departure from the rule in this particular case.