asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state in respect of the Dublin County Borough (a) the number of cases of all forms of tuberculosis notified in each of the years 1937 to 1941 inclusive, and (b) the number of cases receiving sanatorium treatment for the first time in each of these years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Treatment of Tuberculosis.
The numbers of cases of all forms of tuberculosis notified in Dublin County Borough in the years referred to by the Deputy are 587, 599, 560, 677 and 771 respectively. It is not possible from the records of the Department to segregate the numbers of those who received treatment at sanatoria for the first time in these years.
Is not the Parliamentary Secretary aware that no more than one-third of the cases of tuberculosis notified each year in the years 1935 to 1941 inclusive have been able to gain admission to the sanatoria in the county borough designed for the purpose of treating cases of tuberculosis?
That is not the question.
asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is aware of the inadequacy of the provisions in the Dublin County Borough for institutional treatment for early cases of tuberculosis; whether he is aware that female cases diagnosed as early cases are at present kept waiting for a minimum period of three months before being admitted to Crooksling Sanatorium, and whether in these circumstances he will state what steps he proposes taking to provide the essential facilities for the prompt institutional treatment of such cases.
The Deputy should be aware that the provision of institutional treatment for persons suffering from tuberculosis rests primarily with the local authority. On the 3rd November, 1941, the Dublin Corporation requested the City Manager to secure temporary accommodation for 130 persons on the waiting list for admission to Crooksling Sanatorium. In February, 1942, it was reported to the Department that there were 42 females on the waiting list, but no male cases. On the 29th April, 1942, the Department was further informed that on further consideration the General Purposes Committee of the corporation adopted a report by the medical superintendent officer of health in which he submitted that the demands on Crooksling Sanatorium would be met by the erection of one block to accommodate 25 females. On the 16th July, 1942, the Department was notified that it was proposed to erect an additional ward to join the existing female section at Crooksling Sanatorium to provide accommodation for 28 beds. On the 12th August, 1942, sketch plans for the additional accommodation were submitted. The technical officers of my Department visited Crooksling Sanatorium in October and conferred with the technical staff of the corporation. As a result of the conference certain amendments in the sketch plans were to be made, and the submission of the amended sketch plans is awaited.
The Parliamentary Secretary has not answered the question as to whether he is aware of the inadequacy of institutional treatment for tuberculosis in the County Borough of Dublin. Will the Parliamentary Secretary state for how many years plans for the building of a new tuberculosis hospital have been under consideration in his Department?
Deputy Hannigan is, I am sure, aware that it is proposed to provide a new sanatorium at Ballyowen with accommodation for 320 beds. The site has been acquired and the necessary money for the purpose of erecting and equipping has been earmarked. A board of assessors, consisting of three persons, has been working on questions relating to the requirements of the institution, accommodation, etc., and the terms of a competition for submission of designs, but possibly the Deputy is not aware, or at any rate I should avail of this opportunity to inform him, that by a letter of the 22nd October, 1942, the City Manager was urged to expedite the termination of the final terms of the competition.
Why is the Parliamentary Secretary indulging in this evasion? Would the Parliamentary Secretary state for how many years plans for the building of a tuberculosis hospital in Dublin have been under consideration in his Department? Will he say that I am wrong when I suggest that these plans have been under consideration in his Department for not less than nine years?
I would require notice of that.
Mr. Byrne
What about temporary accommodation or the provision of beds for patients waiting to be admitted to this hospital?
What about addressing yourself to the local authority?
Mr. Byrne
The Local Government Department is the master of the local authority and it has stopped us making these improvements.
That statement is quite untrue.
Mr. Byrne
The Minister should conduct himself.