§ MR. ERRINGTONasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether it is 686 true that the Irish Prisons Board has, by declaring vacant the office of medical officer in various prisons, virtually dismissed from that office those surgeons of county infirmaries who have up to this filled it and performed its duties hitherto without remuneration, and in many cases for a great number of years; though now for the first time the office is to be made remunerative; whether this is in accordance with either the letter or the spirit of the Prisons Act (Ireland), s. 27; and, in any case, whether he will urge the Prisons Board to reconsider or modify an order which may entail great hardship on a most deserving class of county officials?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERSir, I have always understood that the intention was to re-appoint the former holders of these offices. As, however, I find there is some doubt as to the law, I have referred the matter to the Law Officers for their opinion.