§ MR. HEALYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been drawn to a Memorial, influentially and numerously signed, forwarded on 30th January to the Local Government Board, alleging that the water supply to the town of Ballybay, county Monaghan, was totally inadequate; that a large portion of the townspeople were compelled to use the water of a river polluted with sewage matter; and that typhus fever prevailed in the town for a considerable time; whether the Memorialists asked for an investigation by a Local Government Board inspector into the grievance mentioned and the general unsanitary condition of the town, and what action has been taken thereupon; whether the water supply (temporarily improved after Memorial was forwarded) is now as deficient as before; has the number of fever cases in the town increased largely of late; has the Local Government Board been dependent for answers to the allegations in the Memorial on the parties responsible for the present state of the town, viz. the Board of Guardians and the local sanitary officer; and, whether an Inspector will now be sent to take the evidence of the inhabitants on the water question, and to inquire generally into other matters seriously affecting the health of the town?
§ MR. TREVELYANI am informed by the Local Government Board that a Memorial was received as to the shortness of water supply to the town of Ballybay, and such inquiries as have been made leave no doubt that the water supply of the town is defective. The Inspector of the Local Government Board went to examine into the matter of the water supply; and the Board have recom- 858 mended the Guardians to employ professional assistance for the purpose of ascertaining the best means of improving the water supply, and they will not allow the matter to drop, and, if necessary, will send a Medical Inspector to report on the state of the town. At present they do not consider this necessary. The Reports of the medical officer show that there has been in all 13 cases of fever under his charge since the 1st of January. On the 1st of this month he reported that he had none, and on the 18th he stated that he had no patients suffering from any disease likely to become infectious. The Board of Guardians are quite willing that the Town Commissioners should become the Urban Sanitary Authority and manage their own affairs; and the Local Government Board are willing to consider an application with that object under Section 7 of the Public Health Act.