asked the Minister for Education if he will state in respect of each year from 1930 to 1940, inclusive, the number of (1) male and female teachers trained, (2) first appointments of permanent trained teachers, and (3) teachers who retired.

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate the statistics requested by the Deputy in the Official Report.

With regard to the numbers of retirements shown, the figures given refer to teachers to whom a pension or gratuity was payable on retirement. The actual numbers of retirements from all causes in the period would be somewhat greater but the furnishing of this information would involve such an expenditure of official time that it would not be warranted.