asked the Minister for Health if he will state (a) the average weekly consumption of milk at Grangegorman and Portrane Mental Hospitals for the years 1948 and 1949; (b) the number of gallons of milk, and its average cost per gallon each year, produced at the farms administered by the Grangegorman Mental Hospital Board in the years 1948 and 1949; (c) the amount of money borne by the Dublin City rates in 1948 and 1949 for the purpose of providing milk at Grangegorman and Portrane Mental Hospitals, and (d) what saving on the Dublin City rates would have been effected in the years 1948 and 1949 if the total milk requirements of the said hospitals had been purchased from outside sources at the prices then current.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Grangegorman Milk Supplies.
The following is the information requested as supplied to me by the mental hospital authority:—
(a) The average weekly consumption of milk (including condensed milk and powdered milk) in Grangegorman and Portrane Mental Hospitals during the calendar year 1948 was 3,022 gallons, and during the calendar year 1949 was 3,246 gallons.
(b) The number of gallons of milk produced on the farms administered by the Grangegorman Mental Hospital Board was 146,671 during the calendar year 1948 and was 161,548 during the calendar year 1949. The average cost of production per gallon has been estimated at 3/1.8d. during the year 1948 and at 2/10.5d. during the year 1949.
(c) The amount of money borne by the Dublin City rates for the purpose of providing milk at Grangegorman and Portrane Mental Hospitals during the year 1948 is estimated at £17,488 and during the year 1949 at £17,725.
(d) The saving, if any, which would have been effected by the purchase of the total milk requirements of the hospitals from outside sources would depend on the quality of milk purchased. Assuming that milk was purchased at the same prices as prevailed on the average in respect of purchases by the Dublin Board of Assistance a saving of £2,509 would have been effected during the year 1948 but no saving would have been effected during the year 1949.