§ THE EARL OF ERNEasked Her Majesty's Government—(1) Whether an authoritative Report has ever been given in favour of the health and suitableness of the Richmond Lunatic Asylum, Dublin; (2) whether the two Inspectors of Lunatic Asylums in Ireland have advised that it can be continued with advantage to the health of the inmates; (3) whether the Medical Superintendent of the Asylum has drawn constant attention to the unfitness of the present site for the purposes of an Asylum; (4) whether all Lunatic Asylums are now built out of towns; and whether the the Richmond Asylum is situated in a poor part of Dublin and surrounded by 9 many old tenement houses; (5) whether the Board of Control lately insisted upon the abandonment of the Derry Asylum because it was situated on the outskirts of the town?
§ *LORD RIBBLESDALEThe Chief Public Health Officer in Dublin recently reported favourably on the healthiness of the site of the Richmond Asylum. He found that some limited portions of the soil had been contaminated by sewage in the vicinity of old drains, but that, he considered, could be remedied. The Inspectors of lunatics have advised that, with certain alterations which are now about to be made, the Richmond Asylum can be continued with advantage as an institution for the care and treatment of the insane poor of the city of Dublin. The resident Medical Superintendent has stated that, in his opinion, the site is not a suitable one for an Asylum. Much has, however, been done to improve it by the execution of a complete system of drainage, and the purchase of some additional land, and alterations and additions are now in contemplation for the improvement of the buildings. Lunatic Asylums are not now built in towns, but many such institutions still exist in very populous neighbourhoods. The Richmond Asylum is situated on elevated ground on the north side of Dublin, and on one side only is in close proximity to tenement houses. The Board of Control lately advised the abandonment of the existing Londonderry Asylum and the purchase of a new site outside the city, because the land attached to the existing Asylum was wholly insufficient, and was overlooked on every side by occupied buildings—a condition of things in no way similar to the surroundings of the site of the Richmond Asylum.
§ *LORD ASHBOURNEsaid that, as far as he could gather from the statement of the noble Lord representing the Irish Government, two Inspectors of Lunatic Asylums in Ireland had reported in favour of this, and he trusted that that document would be laid on the Table, because it would be read by people in Ireland with considerable interest and curiosity. This Asylum, which was the largest Lunatic Asylum in Ireland, had been the subject of a great variety of misfortunes during recent years, with outbreaks of sickness 10 and a series of calamities which had attracted much public attention, and every one knew that it was entirely out of keeping with all the requirements of modern lunacy establishments, which should be built in country districts, thus giving the patients opportunities of enjoying the open air, and some occupation, such as gardening, to assist in the recovery of their minds. The noble Lord stated on a former occasion that it was contemplated building a large Asylum at Port Rane for the accommodation of a large number of lunatics, about, he thought, 1,000, which were at present confined in the Richmond Asylum, where, at the present moment, there were 400 in excess of the legitimate number that institution should accommodate. When it was suggested that to make the Richmond Asylum even tolerable for the small number that might remain in it after the erection of the Port Rane Asylum, would involve a cost of at least £65,000, the question was raised whether it would not be better to add that to the large moneys which might possibly be gained by the sale of the site on which the Asylum stood, and, saving the expense of buying the additional land to which the noble Lord had referred, make a new departure. Of course he could not expect the noble Lord to be prepared to discuss all the local details, with which Irishmen possessing a knowledge of the locality alone could deal, but he wished to know whether the Government would have any objection to furnishing the House with copies of the Report to which he had referred.
§ *LORD RIBBLESDALEsaid, the noble Lord's suggestion was a practical one. If things were as bad as suggested (as he agreed they appeared to be), it might be better to use the £60,000 which was going to be spent at Richmond towards enlarging Port Rane, and accommodating the lunatics of the district. That had occurred to the Irish Officer, and they telegraphed to know what it would cost to make Port Rane large enough to accommodate the lunatics at Richmond. In his previous answer he explained what was being done there. Port Rane would only accommodate half the lunatics of the district, and accommodation for more than 400 would, therefore, be necessary. If Port Rane were enlarged 11 sufficiently for the requirements of the district they would have to accommodate nearly 2,000, and he believed the works to accommodate 1,000 in contemplation there were estimated to cost £200,000. Against that they had to set the value of the land. They were always told that the value of land in Ireland was questionable. He was not able to say what the value would be, but against the sum mentioned they had to put the value of the site upon which Richmond stood, and no doubt the saving of £60,000 which was going to be spent at Richmond. But this was not a question for the Government. It appeared to be a question for the ratepayers of the district, and he could give no indication of what the views of the Government would be. Although he knew that there was no suggestion that the Government were in anyway responsible for the state of the lunatic asylum at Richmond, he also knew that people who did not exactly know how the land lay in such matters, were apt to think that the Government were responsible for everything. The people primarily responsible for the Richmond Asylum were the governors of the asylums. As far as he knew they had never recommended the abandonment of the Asylum to the proper authorities. The noble Lord knew better than he did who the proper authorities were. The proper authorities in a case of this sort—which involved the acquisition of land and erection of buildings—were the Board of Control. Therefore, although the Government would be most anxious to see better and more economical arrangements made for the accommodation of lunatics, he objected altogether to this being treated in anyway as a matter for which the Government were responsible.
§ LORD ASHBOURNEreminded the noble Lord that he had not said whether he would be in a position—he would not say to lay on the Table, but to permit inspection of the anticipated Reports of the two inspectors. He felt the force of what the noble Lord had said. The governors were men of the highest position, only anxious to do what was right.
§ *LORD RIBBLESDALEreplied that he would certainly ask whether the Report would be accessible.