§ MR. CONYBEAREI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether it is the fact that the warders in Clonmel Gaol have to perform the following severe duties every ninth week, namely, that they commence work every morning at 4 a.m., and cease work on three days at 10 p.m., at 6.30, and 8.30 p.m. on the other days; what is the number of the staff in the said prison; what is the average number of prisoners confined therein; whether there is any special reason why the warders should have such long hours of duty; and whether he will cause such an addition to the staff to be made as will relieve them of this grievance?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe General Prisons Board report that, owing to the construction of Clonmel Prison, the cook-house being detached from the main building, it is necessary that an officer should rise each morning at 4 o'clock in summer, at 5 o'clock in winter, to light the fires. The Governor, however, reports that this duty (which in other prisons where the cookhouse is under the main roof can be performed by the night guard) takes only about five minutes, after which the officer can return to his room till 6 a.m. The duty falls to each warder only one week in every 11, not as stated in the question. Only a small proportion of officers is kept on duty till 10 p.m., half the staff being allowed off duty in turn at 6.30 p.m:, and the rest at 8.15 p.m. In addition to the Governor, Chaplain, Medical Officer, and Clerk, there are 13 subordinate officers in this prison. The daily average number of prisoners for the year ended 31st March last was 94.7. The reason why the warders have very occasionally to rise at an early hour is given in the first part of the reply; but it is not the fact that the hours of duty in this 1103 prison are, on the whole, exceptionally long. On the contrary, the Governor, who has had experience of several other prisons, reports that he does not know of any prison where the officers have less cause of complaint on this ground or where the Sunday half-holiday, or the alternate evenings relief from duty, is more strictly observed. Under these circumstances, it is not considered necessary to increase the staff of this prison.
MR. CONYBEABEIS the right hon. Gentleman aware that in Derry Gaol the hours of duty were 6 a.m. in the summer and 7 in the winter. Why, in this prison at Clonmel, should the hours be longer except for duty in the cook-house?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI gather that that is the only reason.