asked the Minister for Education to state (1) the number of schools, not National Schools, which have been certified as suitable schools in accordance with the terms of Section 5 of the School Attendance Act of 1926; and (2) the number of such schools where the programme in Irish, as set forth in the Report of the National Programme Conference, is taught.
Written Answers. - Schools and National Programme Conference.
(1) The number of schools certified as suitable schools under the Act is 223. (2) I am not in a position to state the number of such schools in which the programme in Irish as set forth in the Report of the National Programme Conference is taught. While the general standard of primary education in National Schools of a similar type is always borne in mind in considering the issue of certification of schools of the kind in question, it must be remembered that they are not, as I have already said, State-aided, and the regulations with regard to the adoption of the programme in the Report of the National Programme Conference do not apply to them in the same way as to National Schools.