HC Deb 03 May 1901 vol 93 cc609-10
MR. J. P. FARRELL (Longford N.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that a circular letter has been addressed by the governors of Tipperary infirmary to boards of guardians in Ireland, asking them to join in an appeal to the Local Government Board to allow probationer nurses to be trained in infirmary and other public hospitals; and, in view of the fact that the present system of employing none but qualified nurses involves a burden on local rates, can he hold out any hope that the views of the Tipperary Infirmary Committee will receive favourable consideration.

MR. ATKINSON

I believe the fact is as stated in the first paragraph. The Local Government Board recognise as qualified nurses those persons who possess a certificate from Irish county infirmaries. The Board, however, are unable to regard for the purposes of Section 58 of the Local Government Act of 1898 the training given at such institutions as equivalent to that imparted at clinical and other large hospitals. The Board are of opinion that it would not be expedient to relax the present regulations as to the qualification of nurses, and the extra amount of money involved by employing trained instead of untrained nurses, is very small.