Mr. WILLIAM ARCHER REDMONDasked the Chief Secretary whether he will state the number of prisons and bridewells of all descriptions that were in existence in Ireland at the passage of the General Prisons Act of 1877; how many of these have since been closed; and how many are now used as places of detention for criminals?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe number of prisons and bridewells transferred to the General Prisons Board under the Prisons (Ireland) Act, 1877, was 137. Of these, 112 have been closed, and twenty-five are now used as places of detention for criminals.
Mr. W. A. REDMONDMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether I can take his reply as an indication that there has been an enormous decrease in all kinds of crime in Ireland in recent years?
§ Mr. BIRRELLUnless Ireland at one time had a great many more prisons than it needed, that must be the inference.