As regards the work under the vocational education schemes, while we are trying to give them a certain amount of latitude, we know that the resources of committees are limited, that the number of teachers they can employ must be in proportion to their resources, and that only a certain proportion of their budgets can be made available for Irish. They will want to know if organisers are really part of the educational work or part of Irish organising work. I think they can assist in the work of organising Irish outside, but I realise that committees may have other views. As I said on the main discussion we leave these matters to committees, depending on their goodwill. However, I will go into the matter. I think the Folklore Committee issues a report. I do not know if copies are in the Library but I can see that one will be placed there.
As regards the other subject to which the Deputy referred, I doubt if it is in order to discuss the history of the famine, because no financial provision was made for it. I mentioned it because preliminary work would have to be undertaken, and it was as well to refer to it here. The Irish Committee of Historical Sciences was formed by the leading Irish historians in 1937 as a national body to represent Ireland at the International Historical Congress which, prior to the recent war, met every second year. The last meeting at which Ireland was represented was held at Zürich in 1938. The members of the committee received no payment for their work, but a small Government grant, £100, has been provided annually to defray necessary incidental expenses, printing, etc. The Irish committee is representative of the whole country; it includes three representatives of the Ulster Society for Historical Studies. This committee has undertaken to prepare a history of the Great Famine. The members of the committee have been mentioned. It is proposed that the cost of printing the work will be defrayed by a Government grant. I do not think I need go into the financial points this year, except to indicate that the work is being undertaken by this body. It is work of first-rate historical importance which ought to add greatly to Irish scholarship and general knowledge of a very important period for our people.