§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether His Excellency has received from the committee of management of the Belfast District Lunatic Asylum a memorial showing that this committee from time to time receive applications from dependent relatives who are inmates of the asylum for the pension money to be paid to them for their support; if he can explain why no acknowledgment of the memorial has been received; and whether, in view of the desire of district lunatic asylum committees in Ireland to grant to dependent relatives the pension of inmates where extreme hardship and poverty are known to exist, he will consider the advisability of withdrawing the circular dated April 29th, 1901 (Mo. 7,227), which prevents them from so doing.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The memorial was received by the Irish Government on the 15th February last, and its receipt was duly acknowledged on the following day. There is no power under the existing law to comply with the desire of the District Lunatic Asylum Committee. The withdrawal of the circular dated April 29th, 1901, would not alter the case, as this circular merely sets forth the provisions of the law dealing with the matter, viz., The Superannuation Act, 1887, section 7, sub-section (2)