asked the Minister for Health if the proposed booklet on health services mentioned in a reply of 6th December 1961 has been published.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Services Booklet.
10.
Since I replied to the Deputy's question on 6th December last, I have looked afresh at the question of the publication of the booklet, in the light of the need to apply the resources which the Minister for Finance can make available to me to the best advantage in the administration and provision of health services. To be of real use, the booklet would need to have a very wide circulation and consequently the cost of publication and distribution would be considerable. This expenditure would be largely waste if in a year or so the booklet had to be radically revised and, in view of the review of the health services shortly to be undertaken by the Select Committee of this House, I feel that it would be preferable to defer publication until all changes which may follow such review have been decided.
I am strengthened in this view by the fact that, with the passage of time and in the absence of any material changes in the scope of the services, the public are becoming increasingly familiar with their eligibility under the various heads and the manner in which they should go about availing themselves of any service. In fact, I think that the stage has been reached where no member of the public is now deprived of a service because of ignorance of his eligibility or of the steps he must take to secure it.
Is the Minister not aware that, over the years, each local authority has been publishing its own version of what the Health Act means? Would he not agree it would be a good idea if the version used in every local authority area were published by the Department of Health?
What the Deputy has said underlines the very fortunate circumstance I have taken into consideration, namely, the fact that the health authorities have taken steps to make the public in their respective administrative areas fully aware of what their rights are under the Health Act. Furthermore, as the Deputy is aware, the Department has published a coloured poster, which is very widely displayed all over the country, and which makes people fully familiar with all the services available to them.
The Minister has given a twist to my supplementary question. Is he aware that the objection is to the fact that the Health Act is interpreted from local authority area to local authority area and that the interpretation differs very widely? Will the Minister make some attempt to have a uniform system in every local authority area?
I admit that, administration being locally centred, there may be some difference in details of administration, certainly, but I do not think that local authorities differ very widely in their administration of the services.