§ MR. BIGGAR (for Mr. GRAY)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he, with reference to the statement made by Mr. Solicitor General for Ireland last Session, in reply to a Question by the honourable Member for Galway City, as to the reasons for the removal of Captain Dunne, late Governor of the Castlebar Gaol, to the Nenagh Gaol,
That the immediate cause of Captain Dunne's removal from Castlebar was the opening by him of a long disused well, without the knowledge of the medical officer, which led to an outbreak of fever,the letter of the Prisons Board, dated 19th May 1883, to Captain Dunne, in which they state, after having received a Report on the subject, that,The Board are glad, in the present instance, to be able to assure themselves, from the combined testimony of Dr. Burke and the prison 76 surgeon, that, with the first three cases of the disease that occurred, the water in question could have had no connection, as the use of it had not then been resorted to,can state which of these statements is in accordance with the exact facts; whether Captain Dunne had made frequent representations as to the imminence of a scarcity of water, and the probable necessity of his having to have recourse to the water of the well in question; whether Captain Dunne had requested of the Board to have the water of the well in use, and that of the disused well, analysed, so that he might be guided in such an emergency; whether his request was attended to; and whether, if so, he was informed of the result; whether, during his tenure of office, the health of the prison was generally satisfactory; whether he had been obliged, on his own responsibility, to close five old cesspools in the immediate proximity of the prison, and whether he had made frequent representations as to the existence of a manure heap of long standing placed immediately against the wall of the male prison; whether Captain Dunne had more than once reported to the Board the conduct of the police; and, whether any reports with regard to Captain Dunne were made to which he has not been afforded an opportunity of replying?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe letter of the Prisons Board of the 19th May, 1883, contains the paragraph referred to in the Question; but it also refers to cases of fever which occurred subsequently to the opening of the well, and while assuming that such cases might had occurred if the well had not been opened, censures Captain Dunne for having directed the opening of this well without the knowledge or authority of the medical officer; also pointing out that the use of the water, as appeared from analysis, was sufficient to cause fever. The occasional scarcity of water had on several occasions been the subject of correspondence; but Captain Dunne did not apprise the Board of any intention to resort to the water of the well in question. It was some weeks after the outbreak of fever that Captain Dunne forwarded two samples for analysis. The water was analyzed with the result already mentioned. The health of the prison was satisfactory, with the exception of the fever cases. 77 Captain Dunne reported to the Board in 1882 the closing of two cesspools. No trace can be found of representations as to a heap of manure. It cannot he ascertained that Captain Dunne made complaints to the Board of the conduct of the police. Alter the outbreak of fever an inquiry was held at Castlebar by a Military Inspector of the Board; and the Board, on consideration of the Report, decided and informed Captain Dunne that in the interests of the Publio Service it was desirable he should be removed to Nenagh Prison. The Board state that no Reports were addressed to them; but in the exercise of their discretion the Board considered that it would be for the interest of the Public Service to remove Captain Dunne from Castlebar to Nenagh.