§ MR. D. CRILLY (Mayo, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if his attention has been drawn to the reports of extensive fever and famine in the Belmullet Union; whether he has received any special report from the officials of the Local Government Board; and what steps, if any, the Government propose to take to meet the exceptional distress existing in the Belmullet Union?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe attention of the Government has been drawn to the account published in the Freeman's Journal of the 24th inst., respecting the state of affairs in the Union of Belmullet. This account, in which an outbreak of fever on the Inniskea Islands in this Union, is attributed to the extraordinary neglect of the Government, seems to have been written in complete ignorance of the facts, which are as follows: On the 12th May, Dr. Lavan, the Dispensary Medical Officer, reported that 16 cases of fever had occurred on the islands, and he attributed the cause of the outbreak to the islanders' habit of keeping cattle and sheep in their houses and having cesspools at their doors. The Local Government Board thereupon directed the Medical Officer to furnish weekly reports as to the progress of the sick, and as to the precautions taken to prevent the spread of the disease. On the 30th May he reported that the 16 cases were those of people in good circumstances and not fit subjects for poor relief. The Board informed him that whether they were subjects for relief or not, he should visit the houses and see that all necessaries were supplied, and that disinfection was properly carried out. On the 3rd instant Dr. Lavan reported the type of fever to be very mild, that the disease appeared to be on the decline, and that he had thoroughly disinfected the houses. During the same week he disinfected the houses a second time. On the 7th instant he reported that with the exception of a few people on the islands who were destitute, the rest were in fairly good circumstances, but that they laboured under the impression, which it was difficult to remove, that fever patients should be given nothing but cold water. The 647 destitute were provided with all necessary nourishment and stimulants, and the services of two trained nurses from Dublin were requisitioned in addition to two local nurses. Three of the patients had died, and removal of the sick to hospital on the manlaind was out of the question. The trained nurses were landed on the 11th instant. On the 22nd instant the Medical Inspector of the Local Government Board visited the Islands, in company with Dr. Lavan. He states that there are, in all, 13 cases of fever of different kinds on the South Island, but that the North Island is free from fever. The Inspector considers that the attendance on, and nursing of the sick, have been sufficient up to the present. He also attended a meeting of the Board of Guardians, and pointed out to them that it was imperative on them to enforce measures for lime-washing, cleansing, and disinfection of all infected houses, and that the remedies must be continued until satisfactory results are attained. The Guardians recognise their responsibilities as the sanitary authority, and are taking measures to comply with the Inspector's recommendation. I am not aware of any famine on the island, nor can the outbreak of fever be attributable to any want of food.
§ MR. CRILLYIn view of the statement of the right hon. Gentleman, is he prepared to maintain that it is an exaggeration to say that on Monday last—that is this day week—out of the 60 families which comprise the whole population of the Island of Inniskea, which forms part of the Union of Belmullet, no less than 45 persons were lying ill with fever?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI should say that was an exaggerated statement.