asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that Tarbert, County Kerry, has been without a medical officer resident there for over a year; that the public health nurse for the area lives in Moyvane; that the present locum tenens for the doctor lives in Listowel; that there is no telephone kiosk in Tarbert, and only two private telephones with night connections; that a doctor was resident in Tarbert for more than seventy years prior to 1961; and that between three and four hundred signatures to a petition were sent to the Kerry County Health Authority seeking the restoration of a doctor to Tarbert; and, if so, what steps he is taking to secure a ready and adequate medical service for the people in that area who are perturbed by the situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Tarbert (Kerry) Dispensary.
The matters referred to in the Deputy's question concern the local organisation of the health services which is a matter for the health authority in the first instance.
I have had inquiries made from the health authority and I am advised that the following is the position.
The permanent district medical officer, Tarbert dispensary district, died on 30th August, 1961. The medical officer who filled the post temporarily up to 31st October, 1961, resided in Glin, County Limerick. The present temporary district medical officer took up duty on 1st November, 1961, and his address, as furnished to the health authority, is Moyvane. The health authority state that they have no direct evidence that he is residing in Listowel.
I have verified that, as stated in the question, there is no public telephone kiosk in Tarbert and that there are two private telephones with night extensions. I am advised, however, that, in addition, the Gárda telephone is available for persons seeking the services of a doctor at night. I have no ready means of checking the statement in the question that there had been a doctor resident in Tarbert for seventy years, but the available health authority records show that the medical officers of the district from 1927 up to recently resided at Tarbert.
The health authority state that shortly after the death of the permanent district medical officer of Tarbert dispensary district, they received a petition from the residents of Tarbert asking that the district medical officer reside at Tarbert. They tell me, also, that they received another petition from the residents of Moyvane asking that he reside at Moyvane.
There is no public health nurse for the area; the dispensary midwife resides in Moyvane.
Within the last month, the health authority submitted proposals to me for the re-organisation of the dispensary districts in the area, including Tarbert dispensary district. These proposals are still under consideration.