§ MR. E. M'HUGH (Armagh, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the report in The Irish News of the 6th instant of the proceedings at the last meeting of the Lurgan Board of Guardians; whether lie will make inquiry into the previous complaints made in the letter of Dr. Darling to the Board of Guardians as to the insufficient number of nurses employed in the workhouse, where there are only two for 132 patients; and whether he will see that the orderlies or helpers for nursing the sick are not selected from men suffering from loathsome diseases or women afflicted with skin disease, as mentioned in the doctor's Report?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. MORLEY,) Newcastle-upon-TyneThe question of the sufficiency of the nursing arrangements in this workhouse has for some time engaged the special attention of the Local Government Board, who, on several occasions, have remonstrated strongly with the Guardians, and urged them to adopt the suggestions of their medical officer. The number of patients in the workhouse hospital on the 4th instant was 135, and the staff will in future consist of two nurses, two probationers, and one night nurse. I am in communica- 1322 tion with the Local Government Board regarding the last paragraph.