§ MR. L. CAREW (Dublin, College Green)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that in February 1896, less than a month before the Order of the Board curtailing fuel issue in Grangegorman Prison, the superintendent of that prison fined a number of the female warders for having ashes under the grates in their room and required them to clear them away, although' two servants are paid out of the public money to do this and other work; (2) whether in March 1896 the superintendent denied the issue of fuel to some officers and sanctioned the issue of fuel to other officers, who like the former class had access to the general sitting or mess room, and whether a remonstrance caused this inequality to be remedied; (3) and, whether, the officer designated superin- 51 tendent being a female, it is in accordance with the law that she should determine complaints against the staff, which is composed of males and females?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR, Leeds, Central)The facts are generally as stated in the first paragraph. The two servants were otherwise engaged on the occasion. The superintendent reports that she is not aware of any remonstrance having been made as alleged at the period referred to, or of any inequality in the treatment of the officers, but that in the exercise of her discretion, she sanctioned the issue of fuel to three assistant matrons whose quarters are situated at the rear of the prison and at a long distance from the mess room. I am not aware that the superintendent is legally incompetent to exercise the disciplinary authority delegated to her by the Board as regards prison officers serving under her orders.