§ DR. COMMINS (Roscommon, S.)I beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland on what grounds the Local; Government Board refuse to sanction the appointment of Mr.Peter Keogh, as master 1486 of the Athlone Union Workhouse; what are the nature of the convictions alleged against Mr. Keogh; and, previous to their appointment to the position now held by the Magistrates, what was the judicial experience of those who acted as Magistrates on the occasion?
§ *MR. MADDENThe Local Government Board have refused to sanction the apj ointment of Mr. Peter Keogh as master of the Workhouse of Athlone Union on the grounds (1) that he has had no experience whatever of the duties of the office, and (2) that he was convicted and fined for an assault in September, 1886, and was also sentenced to imprisonment for two months with hard labour in August, 1887, for taking part in a riotous and unlawful assembly. In the latter case, the decision of the Magistrates was affirmed on appeal by the County Court Judge. For the reasons mentioned above the Local Government Board do not consider Mr. Keogh a suitable person to fill the office of Workhouse master. The Resident Magistrates before whom the charges in question were heard were all Magistrates of experience, and two of long service.