S.I. No. 425/1948:

DUNDRUM CENTRAL LUNATIC ASYLUM (VISITING COMMITTEE) REGULATIONS, 1948.

DUNDRUM CENTRAL LUNATIC ASYLUM (VISITING COMMITTEE) REGULATIONS, 1948.

The Minister for Health, in exercise of the powers vested in him by section 9 of the Central Criminal Lunatic Asylum (Ireland) Act, 1845 and of every other power in this behalf enabling him hereby makes the following regulations :--

1. These regulations may be cited as the Dundrum Central Lunatic Asylum (Visiting Committee) Regulations, 1948.

2. In these regulations--

the expression " the Asylum " means the Dundrum Central Criminal Lunatic Asylum ;

the expression " the Committee " means the Visiting Committee of the Asylum established under these regulations ; and

the expression " the Minister " means the Minister for Health.

3.--(1) A Visiting Committee for the Asylum shall be established to perform the functions assigned to them by these regulations.

(2) The Committee shall consist of such persons as the Minister may from time to time appoint.

(3) The term of office of a member of the Committee shall be such period not exceeding three years as may be specified by the Minister when appointing such member and each member shall hold office for the period for which he is appointed unless he sooner dies, resigns or is removed from office by the Minister.

4. At the first meeting of the Committee and thereafter at the meeting of the Committee held next after the 30th day of November in each year, the Committee shall--

(a) elect from among their members a chairman and vice-chairman who shall hold office respectively until a successor is appointed, and

(b) make arrangements for the regular attendance of their members at the Asylum for the purpose of performing the functions assigned to them by these regulations.

5. The Committee shall, for the purpose of visiting and inspecting the Asylum meet once in each month or, if they pass a resolution that for reasons specified in the resolution less frequent meetings are sufficient, not less than six times in each year.

6. The quorum of the Committee shall be one-third the number of members.

7. The Committee or any two or more members nominated by the Committee in that behalf shall be entitled at all times to visit the Asylum, to have free access to every part thereof and to inspect the books and records of the Asylum.

8. The Committee or any members thereof nominated under Article 7 of these Regulations shall be accompanied on each inspection of the Asylum by the Resident Physician and Governor of the Asylum or the Assistant Resident Medical Officer acting on his behalf.

9. The Committee shall--

(a) during their visits to the Asylum hear any complaints which may be made to them by any patient, and, if so requested by the patient, hear any such complaint in private ;

(b) report to the Minister any abuses which they may observe in the course of their visits.

(c) report to the Minister any repairs to the Asylum which appear to them to be urgently needed ;

(d) report to the Minister any matter relating to the Asylum which the Committee think it expedient to report or on which they have been requested by the Minister to make a report.

10. The Committee shall not inquire into or receive any complaint or make any report relating to the services, remuneration, privileges or superannuation of the officers and servants of the Asylum or any of such officers or servants.

11. Within one week after each visit to the Asylum, the Committee or, as the case may be, the members thereof who have visited the Asylum shall submit a report on the visit to the Minister.

12. The Committee shall comply with and observe these regulations and all other rules for the good conduct and management of the Asylum for the time being in force.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Health this twenty-second day of December, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Forty-Eight.

(Signed) NOËL C. BROWNE,

Minister for Health.