§ MR. C. J. ENGLEDOW (Kildare, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in view of the fact that 5 Geo. III., c. 20, provides that no patient shall be treated in the County Carlow Infirmary but on the written recommendation of a Governor except in cases of sudden accident, and that all such written authorities shall be carefully preserved as vouchers that the patients were admitted in accordance with law, will he state how many patients were treated during the last five years, and how many of that number on the written authority or recommendation of a Governor, as ascertained by reference to these written documents?
§ * MR. GERALD BALFOURThe hon. Member has already asked me a number of questions on this subject. I desire to make an appeal to the House, and to the hon. Member himself, whether it is not against the public interest, and also an abuse of the privileges of hon. Members, that questions in regard to minute details of the management of Carlow Infirmary should be constantly brought to the attention of Parliament. ["Hear, hear!"]
§ MR. ENGLEDOWI wish to say that the only reason why I continue to 461 ask the questions is because of the unsatisfactory nature of the right hon. Gentleman's replies.
§ * MR. GERALD BALFOURI have already stated that the number of persons treated in the infirmary during the last five years was 4,647. Of these 1,043 were intern patients. I am informed that the provisions of the law as regards admission of patients by authority of a Governor are habitually complied with, though it appears that the orders of admission, where such are necessary, have not been carefully preserved in accordance with the terms of the Act quoted in the Question.
§ MR. ENGLEDOWI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if he will state the legal authority upon which the Governors of the County Carlow Infirmary receive into that institution, which is provided solely by law for the care and treatment of the poor and destitute, a large proportion of inmates who they acknowledge are not poor and destitute; and, will he further ascertain the amount paid to the credit of the general funds of the institution for each year during the last five years by those patients who are not poor and destitute?
§ * MR. GERALD BALFOURI have already stated that 90 per cent. of the patients relieved in this infirmary belong to the poorer classes who are treated gratuitously, and that the remaining 10 per cent. comprise persons who pay for their maintenance. The circumstances under which it was deemed necessary to admit patients of the latter class are detailed in a Resolution passed by the Board of Governors in August 1894, with the terms of which the hon. Member, as one of the Governors, is doubtless acquainted. As to the second paragraph, I would refer the hon. Member to the Annual Reports of the Infirmary, which contain the information he desires.