HC Deb 31 July 1888 vol 329 cc954-5
DR. KENNY (Cork, S.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, under the Prison Rules, Ireland, convicted prisoners of every class are obliged to submit themselves to physical examination by any stranger who represents himself as authorized by the General Prisons Board to visit them for that purpose, but who refuses to state to them his name, or that he is a medical man qualified to perform such examination?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)

The General Prisons Board report that no prisoner has been obliged to submit to physical examination.

DR. KENNY

May I ask whether the plan of sending a stranger to examine prisoners is confined to the cases of Mr. Dillon and other political prisoners, or is it the usual course? Moreover, with regard to the appointment of Dr. Barr, I would ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he has received any complaints from physicians in Dublin that they are being Boycotted, because I thought I was the only Boycotted physician in Dublin myself?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Of course, the physicians to whom I alluded were physicians of prisons. It was for their protection that I requested that an English officer should be sent over.

DR. KENNY

But are there not medical men of great skill and experience in Dublin who might have been called upon to visit the Irish prisons instead of retaining the services of an Englishman, as being more likely to screen the prison officials?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I do not know what the hon. Gentleman means by screening the officials.

DR. KENNY

The right hon. Gentleman has not answered my Question.

MR. CLANCY (Dublin Co., N)

May I ask whether any prisoners other than Irish political prisoners have been presented to Dr. Barr for examination?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

It was in connection with the persons whom the hon. Gentleman is pleased to describe as political prisoners that the special form of intimidation of which I complained was likely to occur.

MR. MAC NEILL (Donegal, S.)

Arising out of the answer of the Chief Secretary——

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!