asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Clare County Manager is utilising the services of the patients of the Clare Mental Hospital in emptying turf from lorries and stacking turf at the public institutions at Ennis; and whether he will intervene to stop such activities, having regard to the fact that there are many registered unemployed men at Ennis, willing, capable and experienced to undertake the work.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Clare Mental Hospital.
My attention was not drawn to the matter. I may say, however, that occupational therapy has been recognised as an essential part of the treatment of certain classes of mental patients and has been most beneficial to their mental and physical health. The stacking of turf would be a suitable occupation for selected types of patients and, accordingly, provided that the work were being done in suitable conditions under proper supervision, I would not be prepared to intervene.
Would the Minister consider it desirable that the head of a family should be left unemployed while members of an institution or of a mental hospital are brought out to do the work that he is able to do? Is the Minister further aware that the names of suitable people who had been disemployed about a fortnight before that were supplied to the county manager?
That is not according to the information I have received on the matter.
I want further to ask the Minister if he is aware that there is plenty of land available in the grounds of the institution, on which these patients could be employed?
I am not going to interfere with the manager's discretion as to the manner in which these people are employed, as long as the work is suitable to the inmates.
Is the Minister satisfied to leave people unemployed while eight patients of the institution are put to work?
I know that the eight patients probably are maintained at the expense of the ratepayers.