asked the Minister for Health if he will state the number of health inspectors at present in fulltime employment with health authorities, the full complement needed for the proper staffing of the health services.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Inspectors.
At present there are 160 health inspectors employed by health authorities, 159 of whom occupy permanent posts. No definite establishment of health imspectors has been determined for the country as a whole. It has been my practice, however, to urge individual local authorities to augment their health inspector staff where circumstances indicated that such a course was necessary. I should like to point out that decisions regarding the recruitment of such staff are the responsibility of the health authorities concerned.
Would Minister say if the present figure is anything like the total figure he has in mind for the health services?
"Anything like" is a very elastic term. It is certainly like it to the extent that it is over three-quarters of the way towards what I think we should have.