asked the Minister for Education what is meant by the term local rate which is referred to by his Department in a recent circular issued to the County Donegal Vocational Education Committee.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Vocational Education: Departmental Circular.
Irish is normally used in letters from my Department to County Donegal Vocational Education Committee. If the Deputy has in mind the expression "rann-íoc áitiúil bliantúil" used in a recent letter to the committee, I may say that the English translation is not "local rate" but "annual local contribution", meaning the sum demanded by the committee in any year from the rating authority.
I am not sure whether or not it is supposed to be a translation. I got the circular in its English form. I want to find out whether the Minister is aware that in certain counties, including County Donegal, moneys from the rates are payable in forms other than those demanded by the vocational committee.
What does the Deputy mean by "in forms"?
In addition to the rate demanded by a vocational committee from the county funds, other loan charges, superannuation fund, and so forth, are funded by the county council. The two combined are, in fact, the actual rate being paid by the county ratepayers. I want to know whether or not we shall get any credit for that additional rate.
If the Deputy wants to get information on any matter other than the term "local rate" he should put down a question. I would refer the Deputy to the Vocational Education Act, 1930, Section 43 (1). There he will find, on the English side, the words "(in this Act referred to as the annual local contribution)" and, on the Irish side, he will find the words "(dá ngairmtear san Acht so an rann-íoc áitiúil bliantúil)". I can assure the Deputy that he need not have any doubt as to what the words mean in the letter sent to the vocational education committee. If the Deputy wants to know the effect of the letter, perhaps he would put down his question in some other form.
Does the Minister not see from the question that I put down for answer to-day that what I really want to find out—and it is not for my own information but for the information of our vocational education committee—is whether or not all moneys paid from the rates of the county towards technical or vocational education will be and can be regarded as a contribution under this term in the circular issued from the Minister's Department—whether we can regard all moneys going towards vocational education as a local contribution?
I am sure that the vocational education committee in Donegal have all the necessary machinery for extracting any information they may require from the Department. However, I would be anxious to fill in any gaps there may be in the understanding of the Deputy in this connection. If the Deputy would frame a question on the lines on which he is thinking, I shall give him a full and complete answer. Really, we are dealing here with a dictionary matter more than anything else. While I think I can see a lot of what the Deputy has in his mind, I should prefer a clearer exposition of it by him and if he puts down a simple question on the matter I will answer it. I would ask the Deputy to study the question which he has asked me.
I am looking at it.