§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether in eleven out of the twenty-two district lunatic asylums in Ireland the number of cases under treatment exceeds the limits of accommodation; whether the state of things in this respect is getting more and more serious; and, whether the Government propose to take any prompt steps to deal with the matter?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThere has not been time to ascertain the exact present condition of affairs in each lunatic asylum in Ireland; but I believe there is no doubt that in some asylums the number of patients is in excess of the nominal accommodation, although, taking the country as a whole, there is more accommodation than is actually required. The Lord Lieutenant gives immediate and full attention to any representations made to him on this subject. Several asylums have already been extended, and extensions are being or are about to be effected in others; but it is to be observed that a serious question of local taxation and consequent local opposition arises in nearly every case, which needs most careful consideration.