asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is prepared to grant a special cash allowance to midwives, similar to that granted by the British Ministry of Health, to enable them to run small cars or auto-cycles for the more expeditious attendance on patients, especially in rural areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Special Cash Allowance for Midwives.
Presumably the Deputy's question has reference to dispensary midwives. These are employed by the various public assistance authorities and the grant of an allowance of the kind referred to by the Deputy would be a matter for those authorities, subject to the approval of the Minister.
Dispensary midwives are part-time officers and may engage in private practice. They are not paid a travelling allowance by the public assistance authorities and I cannot hold out any hope that a proposal to grant such an allowance would be approved.
In view of the Deputy's reference to the British Ministry of Health's action in approving of travelling expenses for district midwives, I think I should add that this action followed on the Rushcliffe Report on Midwives' Salaries, whose recommendation in this regard appears to apply only to whole-time district midwives. Our dispensary midwives, as I have said, are part-time.