asked the Minister for Education if he will state, for each of the last three years for which the information is available, the average weekly cost per head of the maintenance of inmates in each reformatory.
Written Answers. - Reformatory Maintenance Costs.
If the information sought in this question is the actual weekly cost per head incurred by the managers of the reformatories in the maintenance of the young persons detained therein, I am not in a position to supply it as my Department has not the necessary parsupportin ticulars for the purpose. I assume, however, that the information required is the average weekly expenditure from public funds in connection with each young person in the reformatories, and the following explanation is based on that assumption.
There are three reformatories, viz., St. Connleth's Daingean, for boys; St. Joseph's, Limerick, and St. Ann's, Kilmacud, for girls; the last-named was established for a special class of girls in April, 1944. Since 1st April, 1939, the State pays a capitation grant at the rate of 10/- per week in respect of each young person detained in a reformatory. In the case of St. Ann's, Kilmacud, owing to the small number of girls detained there, the State capitation was paid on a national number of 20 up to 31st March, 1945, and on 40 for the year ending 31st March, 1946.
Since 1st October, 1942, the weekly rate of capitation grant paid by the local authorities to the reformatories for the young persons for whose maintenance they are responsible must be between 8/- and 9/-; the former figure is the rate generally paid. Prior to the date mentioned the rates paid by local authorities varied from 3/6 to 8/- per week.
The total average weekly cost per head from public funds may be put at 18/- for the reformatories at Daingean and Limerick for the two years ended on 31st March, 1945, and at 17/9 and 14/2 respectively for the preceding year. The total average weekly cost per head for the reformatory at Kilmacud from the date of its establishment to 31st March, 1945, was 31/6.