§ Mr. BYRNEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he will state the number of deaths which have occurred amongst the subordinate male staff and their families at Mountjoy Prison for the past three years and the cause of death in each case; why married warders are compelled to go into the prison hospital when sick; what attention do they receive in the prison hospital and what are the qualifications, if any, of the warders attending sick officers; and will he state the present scale of dietary for sick officers and also for prisoners in hospital?
§ Mr. DUKEThe General Prisons Board have supplied me with the following particulars:—
Year. Number of Deaths. Causes of Death. 1914–15 9 Heart failure. Valvular disease of I heart. Convulsions. Measles (Infant). Measles. Cancer of stomach. Heart disease. Heart failure (Infant). Diabetes. 1915–16 5 Anguina Pectoris. Heart failure (Infant). Nephritis. Pulmonary tuberculosis Heart disease. 1916–17 3 Heart failure (Infant). Acute laryngitis. Pneumonia (Infant). In addition to the above, a prison warder died at an outside hospital.
Free medical attendance for prison officers and their families is a privilege, 1164W not a right. Married warders suffering from illness which is not of a serious nature are treated in the prison hospital, but, if the illness is serious and skilled nursing is necessary, a bed is frequently procured through the good offices of the medical officer at an outside hospital. Sick officers are treated by the prison medical staff in a special portion of the prison hospital, and the hospital warders are selected and trained for this position. At Mountjoy they are men of long experience and proved capacity.
Full scale of dietaries:
For sick officers: Tea 1 oz., milk 1 pt., sugar 2 ozs., bread ½ lb., butter 2 ozs., egg 1, bacon 2¼ ozs., loin chops or fish 8 ozs., vegetables 4 ozs., potatoes 1 lb., porter 1 bot. or 1 pt. milk.
For prisoners in hospital: Bread 1 lb., tea 2 pts., butter 2 ozs., meat 5 ozs. (cooked), potatoes 1 lb., vegetables 4 ozs.
The dietary for officers is a modified dietary, adopted in February last in pursuance of the directions of the Food Controller. The necessary steps have been taken for a modification of the prisoners dietary.
Though officers under treatment in the prison hospital receive full pay they are not at present required to make any payment for the food supplied to them at the public expense.