HC Deb 15 March 1883 vol 277 c553
MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Queen's County Prison has been converted into an invalid convict prison for the use of the Country generally; whether, under a recent Order in Council, female prisoners remanded or committed in that Country can no longer be sent to the county prison, but must be sent either north, to Tullamore, or south, to Kilkenny; whether the cost of the conveyance and of escorts thrown upon the county has not been thereby considerably increased; whether the journey of 16 or 20 miles on cars in the winter inflicts such suffering on the underclad prisoners that magistrates prefer to discharge prisoners charged with trivial offences rather than subject them to it; whether any representation has been made by the magistrates to the Lord Lieutenant on the subject; and, whether he will statew hat decision has been arrived at respecting it?

MR. TREVELYAN

The facts are substantially as stated in the first two paragraphs of this Question. It is true that the cost of the conveyance and escort of prisoners has thereby been increased; but, on the other hand, it must be remembered that this is only a part of a general re-arrangement under the Prisons Act, under which the Queen's County effects a considerable saving by being relieved of the cost of maintaining its prisoners. In the case of a woman recently sentenced at Maryborough Petty Sessions to 24 hours' imprisonment for petty larceny, the magistrates, at the earnest request of the prosecutor, who pressed for leniency, altered the sentence, and ordered the prisoner to be kept in custody until the rising of the Court. This was quite an exceptional case, and is, I am informed, the only foundation for the allegations contained in the fourth paragraph of the Question. No representations have been made to the Lord Lieutenant on the subject from any Bench of Magistrates in the county.

MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR

Has not the Lord Lieutenant received any representation from the Grand Jury lately assembled?

MR. TREVELYAN

I am not aware of any.