§ MR. YOUNG (Cavan, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that the tea contracts for the Monaghan and Cavan District Asylum have been given for the last seven years to Mr. Robert Greveen, hotel keeper, Monaghan, who is not a tea merchant; whether he is aware that, in reply to annual advertisements for tenders, merchants sending samples rarely find them examined or tested, and, in consequence, many have ceased to take any trouble in the matter; whether he will take steps to secure open competition; and whether the Board of Control has any power over the disposal of such contracts?
MR. J. MORLEYThe Inspectors of Lunatic Asylums inform me that the fact is as stated in the first paragraph, except that the trader named is a wholesale tea merchant. All contracts for the asylum are perfectly open, and are advertised in the usual manner in local newspapers; and, as regards the tea contract, I understand that all the samples sent in were examined by the Governors before the tender was accepted. The Board of Control has no responsibility in the matter of the acceptance of asylum contracts, which are dealt with by the Board of Governors.