§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received a resolution from the Grand Jury of the county of Cork, drawing attention to the fact that, while the Government can borrow money at less than 2½ per cent. interest, they are charging the Grand Jury 3½ per cent. interest over and above the instalments of principal for a loan for building an 126 addition to the lunatic asylum; whether he has received similar complaints from other parts of Ireland with reference to this class of loans; and whether he will use his influence with the Treasury to have the rate of interest reduced, as requested by the Grand Jury.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURRepresentations to the effect mentioned have been received, but on the general question I must refer the hon. Member to the statement made on Thursday last by my hon. Friend, the Secretary to the Treasury in reply to the similar inquiries of the hon. Member for North Dublin.
§ MR. J. J. CLANCY (Dublin Co., N.)was understood to ask whether there was any objection to the Grand Jury borrowing money in the open market?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThat question ought to be addressed to the Treasury.
§ MR. CLANCYThen I will ask the Secretary to the Treasury if that is so.
§ MR. HANBURYI am afraid I was not listening.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received a resolution from the Grand Jury of the county of Cork, complaining that Government grants for lunatic asylum buildings and maintenance in Ireland are made only once a year, instead of being made half-yearly, and submitting that it would be a great relief to the cesspayers if the payments could be made half-yearly, as all payments for county purposes have to be made; and whether he will accede to the suggestion thus made.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI presume that the Question refers to the Parliamentary Grant in Aid of Pauper Lunatics. There are no Government Grants in Aid of Asylum Buildings. Under Section 6, of 31 & 32 Viet. cap. 97, the accounts of each Asylum shall be audited and examined once a year as soon as can be after the 25th March, by the Local Government Board Auditors. The Government instructions to the Local Government Board are to have its accounts audited as early in the year as possible; and as a matter of fact it rarely happens that its entire Parliamentary Grant is not paid out to the Asylums in the first six months of the financial year. 127 Last year for example, the entire Grant was paid out on or before the 7th September. It appears to me that a compliance with the hon. Member's suggestion would mean this, that whereas under the existing system, the Asylums receive the Government Grant within the first six months of each financial year, under the proposal made in this Question, they would receive one-half only in the first six months, and the other half in the next six months.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALYpointed out that the suggestion was not his, but that of the Grand Jury of the County of Cork, and in one portion of his Question, he had asked the right hon. Gentleman whether he had read a Resolution from the Grand Jury pressing this reform on him.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURYes, I beg pardon, I have received that Resolution.
§ MR. ENGLEDOWI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, at what date were the additions and alterations commenced at the Carlow District Lunatic Asylum, and when it is expected they will be completed; whether these extensive additions and alterations are carried out by a contractor, or, if not, under whose supervision and direction; and, whether the materials necessary for carrying out these additions or alterations are procured at contract prices; and, if not, in whose hands does the selection of the firm or firms for which the necessary articles are to be procured and their cost rest?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe works were commenced in December 1893, and, it is expected, will be completed in December 1897. The major part of the works are being carried out by contract; some minor works did not admit of being executed in a satisfactory manner by contract and are being otherwise carried out under the supervision of a clerk of works and of an architect, who is the County Surveyor. The articles required in connection with these minor works have been procured from Irish firms, selected by the architect and subject to the approval of the Board of Control, by whom all the accounts are audited before payment.