§ Mr. NANNETTIasked the Secretary of State for War whether the Royal Military Infirmary at Infirmary Road, Phœnix Park, is about to be closed; if so, whether he can say to what purpose the place is about to be put when vacated, and if any steps can be taken to hand it over to the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for the purposes of a museum and gymnasium; and whether he is aware that a suggestion has been made that, if vacated, it should be used as an industrial museum and bureau of Irish industry where Irish manufacturers could display samples of their goods and obtain expert information thereon?
§ Mr. HALDANEThe building will cease to be used as a military hospital when the new hospital at Arbour Hill has been completed, but it is impossible to say at present whether it may not be required for some other military purposes. Should it be available for disposal, the suggestions made as to its future use will be duly considered.
§ Mr. NANNETTIasked whether the washing of ordinary bedding, etc., of troops is being done at the Royal Infirmary laundry, Dublin, in common with the bedding used in cases of contagious diseases; whether repairs to such bedding are being carried out there contrary to a War Office Order of some years past; whether the Fair Wages Resolution is observed regarding the wages paid to the women employed; and at what age it is intended to retire the superintendent of the laundry referred to?
§ Mr. HALDANEAll infected bedding and clothing is disinfected before being sent to the laundry where it is washed by a special woman, and is boiled separately from the other bedding. Infected bedding and clothing is disinfected and washed before being repaired at the Government laundry. No such order as that alluded to in the question can be traced. The rates of wages paid in the Government laundry compare favourably with wages paid to similar employés in civil laundries in Dublin. The present superintendent who is 58 years of age can be retained until the age of sixty-five provided that he is capable of efficiently performing his duties until he attains that age.