10 SEVENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE [1909-1910.
National School Grants.
The following table shows the amounts voted for and expended on grants in each of the last twenty years:—
Year.
Provision.
Expenditure.
*
^ oar.
Provision.
Expenditure,
£ £ Brought forward
£ 341,500
£ 313,746 1890-1 40,000 27,331 1900-1 40,000 38,554 1891-2 30,000 30,014 1901-2 35,000 26,906 1892-3 30,000 24,283 1902-3 35,000 33 280 1893-4 30.000
28,198 1903-4 35,00t 13,142 1894-5 28,000 28,179 1904-5 12,500 18,785 1895-6 30,000 40,000 1905-6 20,000 28,007 1896-7 40,000 40,000 190G-7 20,000 13,457 1897-8 40,000 36,500 1907-8 40,000 4,544 1898-9 3^,500 27,132 1908-9 40,000 26,829 ]899-1900 40,000 32,109 1909-10
Totals
65,000 54,303 Carried forward 341,500 333,746 £684,000 £571,553
The number of grants for new schools sanctioned by the Commissioners of National Education and notified to this Board during the year was 88, the amount being £73,902.
For improvements to existing schools the grants sanctioned numbered 295, and they amounted to £12,978.
The new schools in course of erection include the following important build¬ ings, namely:—Lower Rutland Street, Dublin; St.
Mathias', Belfast, and the Convent Schools at Mallow, Navan, and St.
Mary's, Nenagh.
•
In some cases the accommodation which is being provided is in excess of that approved by the Commissioners of National Education.
In the case of Lower Rutland Street, for example, the approved accommodation is for 700 pupils, while the actual accommodation will be for 1,418.
In this and other instances of the same description the Manager has to bear the whole cost of the excess accommodation, but will be entitled to claim a supplemental grant if, and when, the Commissioners of National Education are satisfied that the statistics of attendance for any year, within a limit of five years, from the date of the establishment of the school, indicate that the larger building is required-
Managers of schools have shown increased activity during the year in pro¬ ceeding with works, and it will be seen from the above tabular statement that the expenditure has considerably exceeded that of any previous year in the past twenty years.
With Their Lordships' approval the Board have undertaken the erection of all schools for which grants in excess of the normal two-thirds of the estimated cost have been allowed, excepting some instances in which the Managers had been instructed to proceed prior to the decision that in such cases the Board should undertake the work.
Contracts have been entered into by the Board for the erection of four of such schools, two in County Kerry and two in County Mayo.
Some difficulty has been experienced in adjusting the local contribu¬ tion, especially in cases where it takes the form of free labour and material.
In our last Report we referred to the question of the standard of building work.
Efforts have been made during the past year to ensure the erection of buildings of a high standard, and we believe that there are comparatively few cases in which.
Managers do not recognise that it is a mistake to allow their contractors to do inferior work.
ANCIENT AND NATIONAL MONUMENTS.
Following the practice adopted in last year's report, when the structures vested in the Board for a single County (Cork) were illustrated and described, the buildings in the County of Wexford are dealt with this year.
They comprise the several ecclesiastical ruins at Ferns, and the important Cistercian Abbey of Dunbrody in that County.
Repairs of an extensive nature have been com¬ menced at each of these places.
The former are vested in the Board under the provisions of the Irish Church Act, 1869, Sec, 25, and in the case of the latter the Board have become guardians under Section 1 of the Ancient Monuments Protection Act of 1892.
