§ Mr. DEVLINasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what institutions have so far been approved by the responsible authorities in Ireland for the reception of persons suffering from tuberculosis and entitled to treatment therein under the provisions of the National Insurance Act?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe following institutions have been approved by the Local Government Board for Ireland:—Sanatorium at Heatherside, established by the Cork Joint Hospital Board; sanatorium at Crooksling, established by the Dublin Joint Hospital Board; the Royal National Hospital for Consumptives at Newcastle, county Wicklow; and the Foster Green Sanatorium at Newtownbreda, county Down.
§ Mr. VINCENT KENNEDYasked the amount which the county of Cavan is entitled to receive under the National Insurance Act from the Grant for the erection of sanatoria, etc.?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIf the whole of the Irish share of the Grant were distributed between county areas in proportion to population the share of the county of Cavan would be £3,014. I would also refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar question on this subject asked by the hon. Member for North Belfast on 24th July.
§ Mr. JOHN O'CONNORasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis recommended that the schemes to be organised by county councils should be so framed as to secure the co-operation of the sanitary authorities, para- 2670W graph 35, that special regard should be given to securing the co-operation of the working practitioners in the working of the scheme, paragraph 38, and assumed that the formulation of a county scheme would rest with the county medical officer of health, paragraph 38; is he aware that there are no such officers of health in Ireland; can he say whether the county medical committee may be regarded as an equivalent to such officer; is he aware that the Local Government Board for Ireland has issued to the county councils of Ireland a scheme or schemes ignoring those recommendations, and intimating that no money would be provided out of the insurance fund for any other schemes than their own; and can he say whether the claim of a county to a share in the tuberculosis Grant is dependent upon its adopting the scheme of the Local Government Board?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe facts generally are as stated in the first portion of the question, but it may be observed that paragraphs 35 to 38 of the Report of the Departmental Committee relate to England and Wales and not to Ireland, and that the Committee clearly recognised that the recommendations referred to in the question either would not be applicable to Ireland or would require considerable modification before being applied, having regard to the special circumstances of this country and to the absence of county medical officers of health. Copies of the Report were furnished by the Local Government Board to all county authorities, and the services of the Board's medical inspectors were placed at the disposal of the councils, and have been generally used. The hon. Member is under a misapprehension in regard to the two last paragraphs of his question. The Local Government Board are following the general lines suggested by the Departmental Committee, and have not formulated any scheme of their own for acceptance by the county councils. The Board are prepared to make contributions from the sanatorium Grant for any county scheme which makes adequate provision for the treatment of tuberculosis.