asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether it is a fact that his Ministry has written to the Grange-gorman Mental Hospital stating that in future appointments to the medical staff of the Mental Hospital no lady doctors should be appointed; whether he is aware that this is in direct violation of Article 3 of the Constitution of Saorstát Eireann, which expressly lays it down that "every person without distinction of sex" who is a citizen of An Saorstát "shall enjoy the privileges and be subject to the obligations of such citizenship."
PRIVATE NOTICE QUESTIONS. - LADY DOCTORS ON MENTAL HOSPITAL STAFFS.
The facts are not as stated in the Deputy's question. The Committee were informed that I was satisfied that the interests of the two institutions controlled by the Grange-gorman Joint Committee required that the forthcoming vacancy on the staff should be filled by a man, and that I could not agree to the appointment of a female medical officer. It was not a general order; it was an order dealing with a particular situation. At the present time in Portrane Mental Hospital there are two lady medical officers, and there has been considerable indiscipline amongst the male patients of the asylum and it is considered desirable that a male doctor should be appointed to the next vacancy in order to get over that difficulty.
Arising out of the Minister's answer, is it a fact that because there is indiscipline women are to lose their rights as citizens?
It is not because there is indiscipline, but because it is considered that a male doctor is better qualified to deal with indiscipline of male lunaties than a female medical officer. There are various cases in my Department where a female medical officer is considered more suitable than a male. In such cases I stressed that fact when making appointments. In this particular case I think it is quite obvious that where male patients have got out of hand it is more desirable that a male medical officer should be appointed to deal with them.