§ MR. McDERMOTTI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received a memorial with reference to the dissolution of the Johnstown, county Kilkenny, dispensary district; whether he is aware that the necessity for dispensary relief is so great that a medical club has had to be established there, and is supported by voluntary subscriptions; and whether, in view of this evidence of public feeling and public necessity, he will advise the Local Government Board to accede to the prayer of the memorial?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND (Mr. GERALD W. BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralThe memorial referred to has been received and duly considered, and a reply has been sent to the memorialists, the terms of which have, no doubt, been communicated to the honourable Member. The memorial contained a statement as to the establishment of a medical club at Johnstown. It is not believed that the rearrangement of the medical officers' districts will inflict any serious hardship on the sick poor; on the contrary, the Local Government Board anticipate that the new arrangements will conduce to a better attendance on the majority of the sick poor throughout these districts. As at present advised, I see no reason to act on the suggestion in the last paragraph of the Question. I have already pointed out there is nothing to prevent the Board reconstituting the dispensary districts in any union at a future time, in the event of experience showing that the alterations which have been decided upon have proved productive of inconvenience to the sick poor.