§ MR. HEALYasked Mr. Attorney General for Ireland, Whether eight gentlemen are at present detained in Limerick Gaol who have refused to find bail; whether it is the fact that they are not allowed to speak or smoke during exercise time; and, what the objection is to allowing them to communicate with each other; and, if be will state the length of 229 time they are kept in solitary confinement?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. W. M. JOHNSON)Sir, the facts are correctly stated in the first two paragraphs of this Question. Speaking is prohibited by Rule 2 of the rules for local prisons. Smoking is prohibited by Act of Parliament, 7 Geo. IV. c. 74, 8. 109, sub-section 12.
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. W. M. JOHNSON)I do not remember exactly the length of time; but I believe it is 18 hours out of the 24. I will look into the rules if the hon. Member wishes me to do so.
§ MR. O'SULLIVANasked the right hon. and learned Gentleman, Whether there have been numerous complaints made from time to time against Mr. Egan, the Governor of the County Limerick Prison, regarding the treatment of untried prisoners under his charge; whether he has been reprimanded on more than one occasion by the prison authorities; and, whether His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant will continue this officer in so responsible a position?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. W. M. JOHNSON)Sir, complaints have from time to time been made by untried prisoners against the Governor of Limerick Prison. When inquired into, many of them were found to be groundless. On the 18th ultimo I am informed that the Governor was admonished to be more careful in future to see that improper communications were not passed out of the prison; to avoid unnecessary interference with letters, unnecessary delay in delivering books, and unnecessarily stringent rules as to visits of prisoners from one division of the prison to another; and in the infliction of punishments; and, so far as I can learn, this was the only occasion on which he was admonished.