DR. KENNYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, at the recent investigation held by Dr. Clibborn, Local Government Board Inspector, into charges against Dr. James Matthews, dispensary medical officer of Cavan, contained in letters purporting to be written by the persons alleged to have been neglected, or by their near relatives, it was proved on oath that the letters 273 were not written by the persons whose signatures they purported to bear, nor by any person authorised to do so on their behalf; that it was also sworn to by those persons that they had made no complaints to anyone alleging neglect against Dr. Matthews; and that it was also proved on oath that the writer of the letters referred to was one John Byrne, one of the relieving officers of Cavan Union, and that he had written them and attached the signatures without authority? Whether if the facts are as stated, it is the intention of the law officers of the Crown in Ireland to direct legal proceedings against Byrne? And, whether it is the intention of the Local Government Board for Ireland to allow the Cavan Board of Guardians to retain the services of an officer proved to have been guilty of such conduct.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI am informed that two letters were received at the office of the Local Government Board complaining of neglect on the part of Dr. Matthews; that these letters were sent, in the ordinary course, to that gentleman for his observations, and that subsequently the letters, together with Dr. Matthews' explanation, were forwarded to the Dispensary Committee, who considered it absolutely necessary that the matter should be fully investigated. The Local Government Board accordingly directed their Inspector to hold a sworn inquiry into the truth of the complaints, and as the result of the inquiry went to show that the charges were fully substantiated, Dr. Matthews was called upon to resign his appointment. It is a fact that Relieving Officer Byrne stated at the investigation that he had not written one of the two letters referred to in the question, but had written another at the request of a man named Patrick Reilly. The Board's Inspector saw no reason to doubt the accuracy of the relieving officer's statement, and the Board did not consider it necessary to take any further action in the matter.
DR. KENNYIs not a minute of the evidence on the subject in the possession of the Local Government Board, and will any further notice be taken of Byrne's conduct?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe matter has already been the subject of investigation, and the result is what I 274 have already stated in answer to the question on the paper. If the hon. Member will give notice of his further question, I will endeavour to answer it.