asked the Minister for Health whether he is aware that the special sessions at the Dublin Corporation mass radiography centre at Lord Edward Street, such as those recently announced, are held at irregular and infrequent intervals and therefore are not calculated to obtain the best results; and, if so, whether he will consider making representations to the Dublin Corporation (a) to arrange the holding of public sessions at regular intervals on set days; and (b) to fix hours suitable to the convenience of workers so that no financial loss will be involved to those presenting themselves for radiological diagnosis.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin X-Ray Service.
The Deputy is correct in stating that special public sessions at the Dublin Corporation mass radiography centre at Lord Edward Street are held at irregular and infrequent intervals. I am not satisfied that this valuable diagnostic service is being used to its fullest capacity, and I have already requested the Dublin Corporation to arrange for more frequent sessions. In fact, I see no reason why arrangements could not be made to hold a public session for men on a particular evening each week, another on a particular afternoon each week, and similarly for women. I would regard this as the minimum service which should be provided for the public generally, to be increased later if the demand justified it.
I should, perhaps, explain that, in between, sessions could and should be arranged on a much more extensive scale than at present for special groups, e.g., employees of particular firms, members of trade unions or of clubs, senior school-children and persons attending clinics at the maternity hospitals and maternity and child welfare centres.
asked the Minister for Health whether his attention has been drawn to a Press report of the 5th July last wherein he is quoted as having stated that prior to that date patients at Charles Street tuberculosis dispensary had to attend at other corporation centres for X-ray; and whether he will state if all patients at Charles Street can now be X-rayed in the new extension.
The Press report mentioned by the Deputy referred to a statement made by me at the opening on the 4th July last of the reconstructed tuberculosis dispensary at Charles Street, West. That statement specifically mentioned that the extensions to the dispensary included an X-ray department, and the obvious inference to be drawn from my remarks was that radiological facilities would be immediately available to the dispensary patients who had hitherto to attend at other corporation centres for chest X-ray examination.
As a result of inquiries which I caused to be made, I have been most disappointed to learn that, in fact, the radiological facilities at Charles Street were made available to patients only within the past few weeks. I am at a loss to understand why a period of more than four months elapsed before the X-ray apparatus was put into operation and I am conveying an expression of my dissatisfaction to the Dublin Corporation with a request for a full explanation in the matter.