§ MR. SAMUEL YOUNGTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, with reference to the suggested alterations to the Cootehill, county Cavan, Union Infirmary, whether he can state if any public inquiry was made into the causes of death in the four cases referred to in Dr. Biggens' report; whether he has ascertained that some of the deaths were due to old age, and that in one case the medical officer operated, though a local doctor of long experience refused to administer ether; whether any petition for alterations was received purporting to come from seven electoral divisions; and, if so, what local authorities approved of it and by how many ratepayers it was signed; what is the total amount spent in improvements during the three years ending March 3lst, 1905; and whether the Local Government Board's recommendations for further expenditure will be suspended pending the Report of the Viceregal Commission.
(Answered by Mr. Walter Long.) The Local Government Board have referred this Question to the clerk of the Cootehill Union, who has furnished the following information:—No public inquiry was held into the causes of death in the cases referred to. The deaths were certified as having been due to septicæmia following operation. None of them were due to old age, and no local doctor refused to administer an anæsthetic in any of the cases. The only objection in writing received by the guardians in the matter of the suggested m provement was a protest by one of 692 the guardians, representing a district electoral division in the county Monaghan portion of the union. No improvements were carried out in the infirmary during the period stated other than those effected by the house carpenter of that institution. At a special meeting of the guardians held on the 17th April last, a resolution was passed postponing the carrying out of the alterations pending the Report of the Poor Law Commission. As was stated in reply to a previous Question put on the 18th ultimo, † the Local Government Board will communicate with the new board of guardians which will shortly come into office on the subject of the proposed improvements.