We have been told, I believe, that the Shannon scheme, a great marvel of engineering, will be a boon and a blessing to a great many people in this country, but there is at least one man who has reason to regret that the Shannon scheme was ever started, and that is the principal teacher of Parteen Boys' School. This teacher was engaged there from 1914 until 1927. He enjoyed a free residence as part of his emoluments, with a garden attached, situated amid the sylvan surroundings of Parteen, but the result of the Shannon scheme has been that his school and his residence have disappeared, and he has been forced to take rooms in Limerick for his wife and family at a rent of £52 a year. Although during the previous thirteen years he could go from his residence to his school without even going out in the open air, he has now to travel a distance of three miles from and to Limerick every morning and evening. Anybody who has travelled over that road will know what that means. He has continually to dodge Shannon lorries on the way, and he is a man who is not very strong physically. As I say, all this has come as a result of the Shannon scheme operations. This school and residence happened to occupy a position right in the centre of the Shannon scheme operations, and it was necessary to demolish them in the course of the work. That was done; the manager was notified by wire to close the school, and the teacher had to make whatever arrangements he could to get other accommodation.
I remember discussing this matter informally in June, 1927, with the Minister for Industry and Commerce, and I certainly got the impression then that this teacher would not be neglected in the manner in which I hold he has been neglected. That was the impression I got, and that was the impression I conveyed to the teacher concerned —that although the Minister was not then in a position to say, as certain legislation had not been passed, what exactly could be done, he felt quite certain that between himself and the Minister for Education a way would be found whereby this teacher would not suffer. One of the Minister's officials went down and saw the teacher and an arrangewent was come to in the matter of compensation by which he was to be given 25/- a week for rent and 10/- a week for expenses. The teacher agreed to accept that compensation, and here is where the difficulty comes in: It was understood that that would be paid for eighteen months and that by the end of that time a new school and residence would have been erected. That was giving reasonable time for the work to be done. Now two years have gone by, and not even a site has been obtained for a residence or for a school, and, worst of all, it was agreed afterwards that a lump sum of £100 would be given instead of the £127 10s. which the compensation would have come to if it had been paid every week, but this money was not paid because it was sought to attach the condition to it that it would be accepted in full and complete satisfaction for all claims that the teacher had.
No school was involved in the Shannon scheme works except this. This teacher's residence has been taken away from him. It cannot be denied that he had a free residence there. He also had vegetables free, but now he has to purchase them in the City of Limerick, pay this high rent, and travel three miles to and from his school. The parliamentary Secretary says that he was advised that the free residence enjoyed by the teachers was in no way part of their emoluments. I asked him who gave that advice, but he was not in a position to say.
