§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)On behalf of the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. M. MCCARTAN), I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) with reference to the transfer of lunatics from district asylums to workhouses, whether he will state under what statute the medical superintendent has power to discharge lunatics when they have ceased to be dangerous; (2) whether he is aware that a large number of lunatics, chronic but not dangerous, have been sent to Belfast Workhouse from the district asylum, and if the Ninth Section of 38 and 39 Vic, c. 67, specially provides for the transfer and protection of such lunatics; (3) whether it is open to the medical superintendent of a district asylum to ignore the section referred to without having first endeavoured to make terms with the guardians for the admission and maintenance of such patients under the Ninth Section; (4) whether the last Committee on Irish Lunacy disapproved of sending lunatics to workhouses; and (5) whether he will now consider the desirability of having chronic but not dangerous lunatics transferred under the safeguards of the Ninth Section instead of having them discharged as mere paupers under the Eleventh Section?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURA resident medical superintendent is empowered to discharge lunatics committed as dangerous when they are no longer so, by the Eleventh Section of the Act of 1867. I replied to the second paragraph on Monday last. The Ninth Section of the Act of 1875 is permissive, not compulsory, and imposes no obligation on the resident medical superintendent to make terms with the Guardians for the admission and maintenance of patients under that section. The last Committee on Irish Lunacy Administration disapproved of lunatics being sent to workhouses under 148 existing arrangements. The same committee also expressed their disapproval of the Ninth Section of the Act of 1875 as objectionable in its operation, and recommended its repeal in any fresh lunacy legislation. The Government have no power to direct transfers under Section 9 as suggested in the last paragraph.