§ MR. M. MCCARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he will state if it is his intention to appoint a Departmental or other Committee to inquire into the Irish workhouse system; and, if so, whether this Inquiry will extend to the treatment of pauper lunatics in workhouses and their admission to workhouses from properly equipped asylums; and, whether he will give the names of the gentlemen who are to constitute this Committee?
§ * MR. GERALD BALFOURIn the event of the passage of the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill, inquiry would have to be held into the question of the best means of grouping unions for purposes of amalgamation, but I do not consider it necessary to appoint a Departmental or other Committee to inquire into the whole workhouse system or to extend the inquiry to the treatment of insane in workhouses, and their admission to workhouses from asylums.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)asked whether any inquiry the right hon. Gentleman constituted would cover the question of classification?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURNo, Sir; the Inquiry which I have in contemplation will not cover that point. I think we have sufficient information relating to it already.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)Will it cover the question of consolidation?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURMy idea is that the Committee or Commission appointed should inquire as to what unions it would be best to amalgamate.