§ MR. EDWARD BARRYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether several boards of guardians in Ireland have expressed themselves strongly in favour of an increase of the salaries given to dispensary and union doctors, but have been deterred by the decision of the Local Government Board that all increases must be met wholly out of the local rates without any grant in aid from the local taxation account; whether, seeing that the work performed by dispensary doctors amongst the very poor in Ireland is a national service, that they get little other remuneration, more especially in the poorer districts of Ireland, that their services to the poor involve work night and day and the upkeep of a horse or horses, that the Irish ratepayers are already heavily taxed, any steps will be taken, where the Local Government Board approves of the salaries fixed, and give a grant in aid towards paying the increase, as is already done towards the payment of their present fixed salaries.
MR. BRYCEI am informed that some boards of guardians have expressed 1288 themselves in favour of increasing the salaries of their medical officers, and many of them have, at the instance of the Local Government Board, given such increases in the shape of graded scales of salaries. The Local Government Board have been obliged to point out to Boards of Guardians the existence and effect of Section 6 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1902, which became law with the object of securing to rich and poor unions alike an equitable participation in the Local Taxation Grant. I have already informed the hon. Member that, as at present advised, the Government do not intend to take any steps for the repeal of that section.