And here is a rose that, but for me, might have blushed unseen in the report of the proceedings of the South Dublin Union:—
Mr. Lenehan moved, in accordance with notice—"That the pauper inmate nurses be removed from the male and female Roman Catholic hospitals, and also from the Protestant male and female hospitals, and trained nurses engaged to look after the sick poor." During the course of a lengthened address, delivered in a remarkably loud voice, he urged that the present system of nursing was bad, that militiamen were employed for the purpose, and that reliance could not be placed on the paupers at present engaged in the hospitals. He said that there were at present 184 inmates employed in nursing, and he proposed to put a trained nurse in each ward, that would be 43, and two nurses in each hospital, that would be 8, or 51 in all. These 51 nurses, at £30 a year, or 11s. 6d., would be a little over £29 (laughter), or a saving of some shillings (laughter).
Mr. Sykes.—What in the world is the meaning of that calculation?
Mr. Lenehan repeated his statement amidst great laughter.
Mr. O'Reilly said he would second the motion for the sake of discussion, as Mr. Lenehan complained that his resolutions were never seconded.
Mr. Byrne was surprised that Mr. O'Reilly had seconded the resolution, for Mr. O'Reilly was a sensible man——
Mr. Lenehan.—I deny that (laughter).
Mr. Byrne said it was all braggadocio, and a desire to obtain notoriety, that made Mr. Lenehan bring this forward.
After this no one will be surprised to hear that Mr. Lenehan withdrew his motion. It must be a terrible thing to be accused of braggadocio and a desire to obtain notoriety.