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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 16 Nov 1922

Vol. 1 No. 29

ESTIMATES. - HOSPITALS AND CHARITIES.

I move that the sum of £16,788, recommended for these services, be approved of. I understand this is a service which is not in the estimate of the English Parliament at all, the grants provided for have been paid over a great number of years, and the estimate has been practically unchanged for 50 years. The two subheads A. and D. are fixed by Statute, grants under C. were recommended by the House of Commons in 1884 and slight alterations were made by a Commission in 1885 and have remained unchanged ever since. The grant to the Female Orphan House has remained unchanged from the same date, 1884. E is in gradual course of extinction. It is only a small sum, I think there is only one pensioner now drawing it, and after the pensioner's death no charge shall be made in respect of that. I have only one thing to mention in respect of that Commission in Dublin in 1884. That went very exhaustively into the whole subject of hospital accommodation in the city. One thing transpired in the course of the enquiry. I think it was an antiquarian who was under examination, and he explained that the first hospital established in Dublin was in 1154 by a man called Alfred Le Palmer, a Dane. This hospital was situated in Thomas Street, I think it was on the site of St. Augustine's Church and it had accommodation for 55 patients at the time. It was under the charge of some Religious Order, and at the time of the confiscation of the property of the Religious Orders by Henry VIII this particular place was confiscated to the Crown. The lands were subsequently sold. I believe they were sold mainly to persons with English names. In the case of the English confiscations I think it was Guy's Hospital or St. Bartholomew's Hospital that was mentioned. In the case of the confiscation there the hospital was handed over to somebody else. I think these grants were to some extent a sort of repentance by the English Government for the confiscations which had taken place. I formally move this Estimate.

May I ask the Minister is there any control, and, if so, what is the manner in which this money is spent by the hospitals to which it is granted? I was just wondering, for instance, whether the Government could insist on certain conditions of employment in the case of certain nurses who are employed in these hospitals, for I think it is pretty well known that the conditions under which these women are employed at the present time are not very satisfactory. I was wondering whether the Government would have any control over the manner in which this money is spent so as to provide that better conditions would prevail in the hospitals receiving the grants.

No. These grants are given unconditionally. As I explained in the case of A. & D. they are according to Statute. I think it will be admitted after an examination of the tables showing the estimated expenditure that, as far as the Government contribution is concerned, it is utterly insufficient to keep the hospitals. I think it is generally admitted that in the case of practically all the Dublin Hospitals that unless further revenue is collected by them or a re-organisation or reconstruction or something of the sort takes place they will not be able to keep on. The grants are now unconditional, as far as we are concerned.

Motion made and question put: "That the Dáil in Committee having considered the estimates for Hospitals and Charities in 1922-23, and having passed a Vote on account of £16,600 for the period to the 6th December, 1922, recommend that the full Estimate of £16,738 for the Financial year 1922-23, be adopted in due course by the Oireachtas."

Agreed.

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