asked the Minister for Health how many hospital (other than sanatorium) beds were provided in each year since 1932 to date.
116.
Written Answers. - Hospital and Sanatorium Bed Provision.
115.
asked the Minister for Health how many sanatorium beds were provided in each year since 1932 to date.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 116 together.
I regret that the information is not readily available in the form in which it is requested in the questions and that it is doubtful if it could be extracted in detail without an inordinate amount of labour in respect of the years prior to the year 1947, in which a separate Department of Health was established. The position is complicated, as the Deputy will appreciate, by the fact that in many cases hospitals were partially opened as particular sections became available and is further complicated by the fact that in many cases beds provided for a particular purpose were subsequently put to other uses. I have put in hands an examination of the position, but I am advised that it will be some weeks before final figures, which will be as comprehensive as it is possible within reason to make them, can be supplied. I shall get in touch with the Deputy as soon as the details are available. If he so wishes, I shall supply them direct to him. Alternatively, he can repeat the question so that the information can go on the records of the House.
The remaining Questions will be taken tomorrow.
May I remind the Chair that on the 16th February I gave the Chair notice that it was my intention, with permission, to raise on the adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 32 on the Order Paper of that day? May I ask now that sympathetic consideration be given to granting permission, say, for tomorrow evening on the adjournment of the House?
The Deputy will have to give notice tomorrow as well.