§ MR. GILHOOLYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether the cost of maintenance of criminal lunatics admitted from gaols and Dundrum Asylum to the Cork District Lunatic Asylum, with sentences unexpired or confined during the Lord Lieutenant's pleasure, is properly chargeable to the funds available for the maintenance of the lunatic poor of the County Cork district, and, if not, whether he will make provision for refunding the cost from Imperial sources.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe cost of maintenance of criminal lunatics in the Cork District Lunatic Asylum is chargeable to the funds available for the maintenance of the lunatic poor of the County Cork district; but, as stated in answer to the preceding question of the hon. Member, the Government is considering the question of defraying the cost of maintenance from Imperial sources.
§ MR. GILHOOLYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether his attention has been called to a resolution recently passed by the Board of the Cork District Lunatic Asylum in which it was stated that the sum of £3,688 0s. 3d. has been long since certified by the auditor as being due as grant in aid for the three months ended 31st March, 1899; whether he is aware that a supplemental Vote has been passed on the 17th July last to recoup the Local Taxation (Ireland) Account for the grants in aid of Irish lunatic asylums; and, can he state what action he proposes to take in the matter.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe reply to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. In answer to the second paragraph, the Supplementary Estimate was not a grant in aid of the maintenance of pauper lunatics. If the hon. Member will refer to the statement made by my right hon. I friend the late Secretary to the Treasury on the 30th April, 1900,* he will find the object with which this Vote was taken fully explained.
§ MR. GILHOOLYIs this money going to the credit of the Irish Local Taxation Fund at Dublin Castle?
§ MR. WYNDHAMIf the hon. Member refers to the statement I have mentioned he will get all the information available.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDIn view of the fact that nearly every asylum in Ireland has made a complaint in reference to the same matter, will the right hon. Gentleman inquire into the matter and lay some statement before the public justifying his action?
§ MR. WYNDHAMI have inquired, and have corresponded at some length with the asylums concerned, but they do not accept the explanation I offer.
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The hon. Member is about to argue.
* See The Parliamentary Debated [Fourth Series], Vol. lxsxii. page 285.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDI will put a question down for Thursday. I only wanted to save time.