asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme has been sufficiently publicised by his Department so as to make potential participants fully conversant with the benefits that will accrue to the individual and the nation from it, and if he will make a general statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme.
My Department has no responsibility for publicity in relation to the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme. This is entirely a matter for the Voluntary Health Insurance Board, the autonomous body set up by statute to administer the scheme. I understand that there have been satisfactory results from the publicity undertaken to date by the board.
I appreciate what the Minister says about the responsibilities of the board, but I should like to draw his attention to the fact that the potentialities of this service have not been circulated to any great extent throughout rural Ireland. Many inquiries have been made by people in my constituency but they cannot get the required information.
I shall be very glad to draw the attention of the board to the points made in the Deputy's supplementary question, but I cannot undertake to carry out an advertising campaign which is properly the duty of the board.
Would the Minister not like to suggest this to the board?
I think the board is very much alive to the need for making the scheme known.