§ MR. SEXTONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the death of a man named Peter O'Gara, in the lock-up or 423 strong room of Constabulary Barrack No. 1, in the town of Sligo, on the 25th of May, Whether the Irish Government have noted the following sworn statement made at the inquest, namely, that after Peter O'Gara, charged with being under the influence of liquor, was placed in the lock-up, another man, arrested on the same charge, was put into the same cell; that the cell was left in total darkness; that the orderly room was at some distance from the cell; that the orderly constable visited the cell about five times in three hours, and that, on entering the cell about three hours after O'Gara had been placed there, he found O'Gara dead, and covered with blood, and bearing numerous wounds, and the other man partly undressed, and having blood on his face and hands; what is the rule in constabulary barracks in Ireland with regard to visits by the orderly to a cell in which prisoners in a state of intoxication are confined; whether the Government will order that no person in a state of intoxication shall be placed in the same cell with one or more other prisoners, unless an orderly is in the cell, or unless the persons in it are under his constant observation; and, whether there is any rule that the cells should be left in total darkness?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Sir WILLIAM HART DYKE)The facts are substantially as stated; but it appears that the orderly visited the cell five times in two hours, his last visit being about 15 minutes before the time at which O'Gara was found dead, and all appeared to be right on that occasion. The Coroner's jury found that no blame was to be attached to the police; but the Government have asked the Inspector General to consider whether the regulation as to visits to intoxicated persons —which was framed to meet such cases as this—might not be made more stringent. There is no rule that the cells should be left in darkness.