§ MR. P. J. O'BRIEN (Tipperary, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state the amount of the Imperial grant allotted to the Richmond Hospital in Dublin; and why this institution is not required under its charter to receive pauper inmates gratuitously; can he say to what class of inmates the funds of this institute are applied; and whether, in the matter of the special cases of paupers sent for treatment from Nenagh Union, he will explain why the custom in existence for the past thirty years of receiving such paupers free should be departed from by the authorities at Richmond Hospital.
§ MR. ATKINSONThe amount annually voted to the House of Industry Hospitals, of which the Richmond Hospital is one, is £7,600. No such conditions as mentioned are attached to the payment of the Parliamentary grant, and the hospital authorities contend they are entitled to charge the guardians of poor law unions the sum of 2s. per head per day, for the maintenance and treatment of pauper inmates sent by these unions. If the hon. Member will refer to the Report of the Select Committee of the House issued in 1854, and to the Report of the Viceregal Commission of 1855, he will find much information as to these hospitals and the class of patients treated in them. As already stated by my right hon. friend, the hospital authorities are not aware that workhouse patients w ere maintained for thirty years before 1895 without payment.
§ * MR. P. J. O'BRIENIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I have privately informed the right hon. Gentleman the Chief Secretary that the accuracy of the statement in the Question is within my personal knowledge as Chairman of the Nenagh Union for some sixteen years?
§ MR. ATKINSONI have given the hon. Member the effect of the Report I have received.
§ MR. P. J. O'BRIENIt is not a correct report.