§ SIR THOMAS ESMONDEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can explain the letter recently sent by the Irish Local Government Board to the Guardians of the Tralee Union with reference to the nuns who act as nurses in the Tralee Infirmary; if he is aware that in the Tralee Union, as in other unions in Ireland where the nuns have taken over the charge of the sick poor, the result of their ministration has been to vastly improve the condition of the poor people committed to their care, with a very great saving in the rates; if he will state the purport of Article 28 of the Regulations referred to by the Local Government Board in their letter; if he is aware that the article in question has not been enforced in the Tralee Union ' during the 22 years that the Sisters of Mercy have had charge of the union hospital; that the enforcing of it now will result in much inconvenience to the nursing sisters; and, if he will instruct the Irish Local Government Board to allow Rule 28 to remain, as it has remained for the last 22 years, in abeyance until it can be amended by Act of Parliament.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe letter referred to called attention to the fact that the Local Government Board had observed from the return of officers that three of the nuns who were employed as nurses in the workhouse had not been appointed by the Board of Guardians, as required by the general regulations, and pointed out that unless the Guardians went through the form of legally appointing them the salaries paid for their services would be liable to disallowance by the Auditor. The Local Government Board are able to testify as to the efficient manner in which the nuns in Tralee and other unions generally discharge their duty. I am unable to say 887 whether the result of their appointment has always been a great saving of the rates. Article 28 of the General Regulations provides that no officer or assistant shall be appointed in any union unless notice that such appointment will be made, shall have been given and entered on the minutes at one of the two ordinary meetings of the Board next preceding that at winch the appointment shall be made, and unless an advertisement giving notice of such appointment shall, by direction of the Guardians entered on their minutes, have appeared in some public paper at least seven days before such appointment is made. If the Guardians have omitted to conform to this regulation for the time alleged, they have done so without the knowledge or sanction of the Local Government Board. The conditions of the regulation have been complied with in other unions in Ireland where nuns have held official positions, and the Board fail to see why its enforcement should lead to any special inconvenience in Tralee Union. All union officers who receive salaries from the poor rates, or from public funds, must comply with the law, and no exception can be made in the case of the nurses of the Tralee Union?