§ MR. JAMES O'BRIEN (Mayo, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is the fact that the medical officer of the Claremorris Union has, after an inspection of the poorer parts of his district, reported to the Board of Guardians that—
Destitution prevails to a large extent. Many of these poor people are suffering severely from the want of, and inability to procure, the necessary amount of food to sustain them in health. I therefore apprehend that, unless assistance can be had for them, fever and other low and debilitating diseases will be the result;and, seeing that, in a resolution of the Board of Guardians of that Union, it is stated that—Relief from the rates would be entirely inadequate, and would impoverish the ratepayers,what is to be done to meet this state of distress?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. JOHN MORLEY) (Newcastle-on-Tyne)Mr. Speaker, the Report of the medical officer has been before the Local Government Board. They have written to the Guardians calling attention to the provisions of the recent Relief Act, and expressing their willingness, if so desired, to order an extension of the scope of outdoor relief. But there is no means by which the Guardians could be afforded extraneous assistance. They must provide out of their own resources support for the poor of their own Union.