Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 11 Apr 1929

Vol. 29 No. 2

Public Business. - Vote No. 42—Dundrum Asylum.

The President

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £7,204 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1930, chun Costaisí Coinneáil-suas Geilteanna Cuirpthe i nGealtlainn Dúndroma.

That a sum not exceeding £7,204 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1930, for the Expenses of the Maintenance of Criminal Lunatics in the Dundrum Asylum.

General Mulcahy

This also is an Estimate which calls for no comment.

Mr. O'Kelly

One point occurs to me. I notice that at the end of the Estimate there is a small note concerning moneys received from Northern Ireland. I was wondering if that meant that there are housed in that institution persons from Northern Ireland.

General Mulcahy

That is so.

Mr. O'Kelly

If that is so, perhaps the Minister could say at what rate they are charged. Taking the Estimate as a whole and taking the total expenses and the number of patients, it works out at a sum of £140 a year for each inmate of the institution for upkeep and maintenance. I wonder what is charged to the Northern Ireland Government per head for such patients as are sent to the institution?

General Mulcahy

I do not think that I could say at the moment what exactly is charged to them. Certainly there is a total cost per head for each inmate and a charge less than that is certainly not made. Assuming that they are only charged the average cost per head, it would to a certain extent be a saving to us, because the institution is a large one and the additional inmates that are there from Northern Ireland help to reduce the overhead costs per patient.

Mr. O'Kelly

How many Northern Ireland patients would there be?

General Mulcahy

I am afraid that I could not answer that at the moment, but if the Deputy will put down a question I will give the information.

Motion put and agreed to.