MR. C. J. ENGLEDEW (Kildare, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that at the last meeting of the Governors of the Carlow District Lunatic Asylum, at which 13 governors were present, on a motion to give Dr. FitzGerald, who is a Roman Catholic, permission to have his wife to reside with him in his quarters, the seven governors who voted against the motion were Protestants and the six voting for it Roman Catholics; (2) whether, out of the seven Protestant governors present, two had not attended a meeting of the Board since 1896; and 1367 (3) whether he will, when appointing the Board of Governors for next year, refuse to re-appoint gentlemen who do not attend to the ordinary duties of the Board?—At the same time I will ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that at the last meeting of the Board of Governors of the Carlow District Lunatic Asylum, the governors, by a majority of one, refused to allow the Assistant Medical Officer, Dr. FitzGerald, to have his wife to live with him in the quarters provided for him, although at no increased cost or expense to the Board; (2) whether he is aware that there has been a very marked improvement in the management of this institution ever since Dr. FitzGerald's appointment, who has been specially mentioned and thanked for his special services by both the Government Auditor and the Board of Governors; and (3) whether, as this is the only institution in Ireland where the assistant medical officer has not been allowed to have his wife to live with him in his quarters, he will request the Inspectors of Lunatics to take the matter into their hands, and authorise Dr. FitzGerald to bring his wife to reside with him in his quarters?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND (Mr. G. W. BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralIn answer to these Questions, I am informed that the statements in the first two paragraphs of both Questions are in accordance with the fact. There are, I understand, only four asylums in Ireland in which quarters are provided for married assistant medical officers. Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the decision arrived at by the Carlow Board of Governors in the present case, I may say that the matter is not one in which the Inspectors of Lunatics or the Government have any power to interfere. The Board of Governors for 1899 will not be constituted until the beginning of next year, and it is not possible now to state what gentlemen will or will not be appointed on the Board for that year.
MR. ENGLEDEWWill the right honourable Gentleman bear this in mind in connection with the constitution of the next Board of Governors?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURYes, Sir.