§ MR. SMALLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Irish Executive has taken into consideration the claims of the attendants in the Irish Lunatic Asylums to be placed in a better position with regard to salary and superannuation, so as to be nearer to an equality in these respects with the attendants in the English Asylums; whether the Boards of Governors of several of the Irish Asylums have recently passed resolutions strongly recommending the case of the attendants to the attention of the Executive; and, what course he is prepared to take.
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThe hon. Member put a very similar Question to my right hon. Predecessor in May last year. I can only repeat that the attendants in the district lunatic asylums in Ireland are the servants of the respective Boards of Governors, and that any recommendations which any of the Boards make in favour of increase of salary to members of their staff have always received and will continue to receive the most careful consideration of the Government. As regards pensions, they are given by the Boards of Governors, with the concurrence of the Inspectors, on the principles of the Super-annuation Act of 1859, which, I understand, receive a very liberal constructions in their application to the cases of officers and servants in lunatic asylums?