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Donegal Board of Health and Public Assistance

Donegal Board of Health and Public Assistance

The Board was formed under the Local Government Act, 1925, to take over administration of public health for the county, and to assume some of the functions of the abolished Rural District Councils. Among these functions were the building of rural cottages, water supply and sewerage schemes. The Boards were abolished in 1942.

Donegal Board of Health Records

  • Minutes of Board, 1924 – 1942 (restricted access due to sensitivity of material);

The Minutes of the Board of Health and Public Assistance include:

  • Correspondence and reference to payments to medical professionals for various duties, including maternity services and dispensary attendance; applications for leave and other staff matters; requisitions for medical and surgical appliances from dispensaries; condition of dispensary premises;
  • Boarding out of children: individual cases discussed, including runaways; children reaching hiring out age;
  • District hospitals: Carndonagh; Donegal; Glenties; Letterkenny; County Hospital, Lifford;
  • General Assistance Committee, concerning unemployment assistance and other assistance to needy;
  • County Home, Stranorlar.
  • General, including regarding diet,
  • Admissions to 'extern institutions' including Dublin hospitals;
  • Children's Acts, decisions under Acts.

 

Minutes of Public Health and Kindred Subjects Committee of the Board, held on same dates: subjects include:

  • Water supply, e.g., Ardara; Carndonagh; Porthall etc., referring to correspondence, decisions made etc.;
  • Sewers, including difficulties acquiring land;
  • Nuisances, including Notices of abatement;
  • Milk & Dairies Act;
  • Infectious Diseases, including Diphtheria immunisation;
  • Derelict Sites (1940 Act);
  • Donegal Markets;
  • Recreation Grounds;
  • School Medical Scheme;
  • Free Milk Scheme;
  • Free Meals (School Meals Gaeltacht Acts);
  • Fire fighting equipment;
  • Inspection of slaughterhouses;
  • Monthly Report of County Medical Officer of Health: refers to fever hospitals; TB; school medical inspection and inspection of conditions of schools in county;
  • Monthly Financial statement

 

Minutes of Fire Fighting Services Committee.
Minutes of Burial Board for Board of Health.
Minutes of Board under Tuberculosis Acts, including monthly report of TB Officer (for each of 25 dispensaries);
Monthly Report of District Nurses, including patient visits at home and in dispensaries;
Minutes of Board held under Labourers' Acts, including letting of cottages and numbers of applicants; notices to quit, cottages' repairs; nurses' cottages; sourcing of site; includes statistics on rent collectors' accounts.



Other material of the Board of Health includes:

  • 19 Medical relief registers, 1915 – 1943;
  • Extra Diet Check Book, 1924 – 1925;
  • Medical Officer’s Report Book, Ballyshannon Dispensary, 1899 – 1944;
  • Admission Register, Ballyshannon, 1924 – 1928;
  • Glenties Fever Hospital Committee Minute Book, 1922 – 1923;
  • Letterkenny Fever Hospital Register, 1924 – 1927;
  • Day Book, County Hospital, Lifford, 1924;
  • 4 Diet Books, County Hospital, Lifford, 1924 – 1928;
  • Accounts and Minutes, Ramelton Fever Hospital, 1891 – 1914;
  • Notices of Abatements of Notices, 1927 – 1932;
  • Bye-laws, 1938;
  • Annual Reports of County Medical Officer and Medical Return Forms,
  • Vaccination Register, 1926 – 1928.
  • Abstracts of Accounts, 1932- 1942.
  • 2 Treasurers’ Pass Books, 1932 – 1942.

 

It should be noted that all Board of Health records are subject to restricted access due to the sensitivity of the material. Extracts can be made available to members of the public for personal reasons, research or statistical reasons.