HC Deb 24 January 1918 vol 101 cc1265-8

On the passing -of this Act the Lord President of the Council shall take steps to secure the formation of a Central Midwives Board for Ireland (hereafter in this Act termed the Board), which shall consist of—

  1. (1) Four persons to be appointed by the Local Government Board of whom two shall be appointed after communication with the county councils and county borough coun- 1266 cils to represent those bodies respectively on the Board;
  2. (2) Eight registered medical practitioners to be appointed, one by the Senate of Dublin University, one by the Senate of the National University of Ireland, one by the. Senate of the Queen's University of Belfast, one by the Governing Body of University College, Cork, one by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, one by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, one by the Irish Committee of the British. Medical Association, and one by the Council of the Irish Medical Association;
  3. (3) One certified midwife practising in Ireland, to be appointed by the Lord President of the Council, when, in his opinion, midwives so qualified are available in numbers sufficient to warrant the appointment.

On the first day of February, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-three, and on the first day of February in every fifth year thereafter, all the members of the Board shall retire from office altogether, but shall be eligible for reappointment, and their places shall be filled by the appointment, by the same person and bodies respectively, of a like number of members possessing, where any qualification is prescribed, the same qualifications as aforesaid.

Any vacancy occurring by death or resignation or any cause other than retirement in ordinary course shall be filled by a member appointed by the person or body by whom the member whose office is vacated was appointed, and possessing, where any qualification is prescribed, the same qualification.

The Board may act notwithstanding a. vacancy or vacancies in their number.

The Board shall elect a chairman from. their own number.

The meetings of the Board shall be held in the city of Dublin, and the members shall be paid in respect of their attendance thereat reasonable expenses on a scale approved by the Privy Council.

The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for IRELAND (Mr. Arthur Samuels)

I beg to move, after the word "of" ["which shall consist of"], to leave out all the words, down to the word "qualification." ["prescribed, the same qualification"], and to insert, instead thereof the words:

  1. (a) Three persons to be appointed by the Local Government Board, of whom one shall be a registered medical practitioner and two shall be persons appointed after consultation with the county councils and county borough councils, to represent those bodies respectively on the Central Midwives' Board;
  2. (b) Four registered medical practitioners to be elected by the registered medical practitioners resident in Ireland;
  3. (c) Four women (in this Act referred to as midwives' representatives) to be appointed by the Local Government Board, of whom three shall be appointed after consultation with recognised nursing associations in Ireland.
(2) On the first day of February, nineteen hundred and twenty-three, and on the first day of February in every fifth year thereafter, all the appointed and elected members of the Board shall go out of office, and their places shall be filled by new elections and new appointments, but a person going out of office may, if otherwise qualified, be re-elected or re-appointed.

(3) A woman shall not be qualified for appointment as a midwives' representative unless at the time of appointment she is resident in Ireland; and

  1. (a) in the case of appointments made on or after the first day of February, nineteen hundred and twenty-three, is a certified midwife; and
  2. (b) in the case of appointments made prior to that date possesses a qualification specified in paragraph (a), (b), or (d) of Sub-section (1) of Section two of this Act.
(4) Any vacancy occurring by death or resignation or any cause other than retirement in the ordinary course shall be filled—
  1. (a) in the case of an elected registered medical practitioner, by a member co-opted by the remaining members who are elected registered medical practitioners; and
  2. (b) in the case of an appointed member, by a member appointed in the like manner by the authority by whom the member whose place is vacant was appointed; 1268 and the person so co-opted or appointed shall hold office until the time when the person in whose place he is co-opted or appointed would have regularly gone out of office and shall then go out of office.
(5) The elections of elected members and the consultations with bodies to be consulted in connection with the appointment of appointed members shall be conducted and arranged in accordance with regulations to be made by the Local Government Board. The returning officer at the first election of registered medical practitioners shall be the Vice-President of the Local Government Board or a person nominated by him, and at any subsequent election shall be the chairman of the Central Midwives' Board or a person nominated by him.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 4 to 15 ordered to stand part of the Bill.