§ MR. MAINS (Donegal, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Local Government Board have yet received written explanations from the masters of the following workhouses—namely, Car-rickmacross, Castleblaney, Larne, Bally-mena, and Newtownards relative to the abuses and discrepancies which existed in them; and, if so, what precautions have been adopted to prevent a repetition of them; and whether the Local Government Board will in future instruct all their Inspectors, when they visit the Unions in their districts, to see that the number of paupers in the house corresponds with the number in the books?
MR. J. MORLEY(1) The masters of the workhouses named in this question have submitted their explanations to the Local Government Board. They allege that the discrepancies were entirely the result of an oversight. The Board have reprimanded these officers, and have called their auditor's attention to the matter, in order that the cost of maintenance entered in the workhouse books in respect of the paupers who have left the house may be surcharged to the workhouse masters. (2) The Board believe that it is the practice on the part of some of the Inspectors to count the paupers in the workhouses, and they have intimated to all of them, in view of what has transpired in the district in question, that it is desirable that this should periodically be done.