Vol. 200 No. 3
(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health if he will give a list of dispensary areas where an adjustment has been made in the past five years resulting in a reduction in the number of persons entitled to dispensary service in each area, giving where possible the figures before and after the adjustment was made.
6.
(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health if he will give a list of extra dispensary appointments or areas created during the past five years, resulting in an increase in the number of persons entitled to dispensary service in each area, giving where possible the figures before and after the adjustment was made.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together.
I assume that the object of these questions is to elicit information as to cases in which action was taken, by way of revision of boundaries of dispensary districts or changes in the numbers of doctors in districts, which resulted in alterations in the work load of district medical officers during the past five years.
I propose to reply in the form of a tabular statement to be circulated, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, with the Official Report.
The statement (Part A) gives information as to dispensary districts which have been revised during the past five years. It explains the object of the revision, shows the number of eligible persons and the numbers of district medical officers in the districts before revision and in the districts as revised. It also supplies (Part B) information as to districts in which, without revision of the boundaries of the district, additional district medical officers have been appointed in the past five years and as to the one such district in which the number of district medical officers was reduced.
It will be noted that, in general, the result of these changes has been to reduce substantially the work load of the doctors concerned and in no case has there been a significant increase in the work load, except in one case where, for reasons of his own convenience, the doctor desired the change.
Following is the statement:
PART A
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
I. Waterford Public Assistance (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1958. [S.I. No. 107 of 1958.] |
30th April, 1958 |
The Purpose of the Order was to afford relief to the District Medical Officers in Waterford Urban Dispensary District and in Waterford Rural Dispensary District who had large quotas of eligible persons. |
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The area comprising these dispensary districts together with a small area transferred from Country Kilkenny to Waterford County Borough following the making of an Order by the Minister for Local Government extending the Waterford County Borough boundary in 1955 was divided into three dispensary districts, viz. Waterford Numbers 1, 2 and 3 Dispensary Districts. |
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The following shows the number of eligible persons in the dispensary districts before and after the revision:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Waterford Rural |
4,828 |
1 |
|
Waterford Urban |
3,174 |
1 |
|
Subsequent to the making of the order |
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|
Waterford No. 1 |
2,000 |
1 |
|
Waterford No. 2 |
3,000 |
1 |
|
Waterford No. 3 |
2,800 |
1 |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
II. County Longford (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1959. [S.I. No. 41 of 1959.] |
1st April, 1959 |
Slight variations were made in seven dispensary districts in County Longford with a view to enabling eligible persons to be more conveniently situated in relation to their respective dispensaries. The following shows the districts concerned and the number of eligible persons in each district before and after revision:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons before Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
Estimated Number of Eligible Persons after Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Ballymahon |
1,933 |
1 |
1,959 |
1 |
|
Abbeyshrule |
1,288 |
1 |
1,225 |
1 |
|
Killashee |
1,010 |
1 |
976 |
1 |
|
Longford |
2,314 |
1 |
1,978 |
1 |
|
Edgeworthstown (now Mostrim) |
1,305 |
1 |
1,219 |
1 |
|
Ballinalee |
1,076 |
1 |
1,103 |
1 |
|
Granard |
1,662 |
1 |
1,800 |
1 |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
III. Dublin Public Assistance (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1959. [S.I. No. 56 of 1959.] |
14th April, 1959 |
This Order regularised the position regarding dispensary services in Ballyfermot housing area which comprised portions of the Clondalkin and South City No. 5 (New Kilmainham) Dispensary Districts. For some years prior to the making of the Order constituting the Ballyfermot Dispensary District, the area had been regarded as a separate entity by the Dublin Board of Assistance and had been served by four district medical officers. At the time the Order was made there were approximately 13,623 eligible persons in the area. The number of eligible persons in the Ballyfermot Dispensary District at present is 13,365. The district is now served by five district medical officers. |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
IV. Dublin Health Authority Area (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1960 [S.I. No. 228 of 1960]. |
5th December, 1960 |
The purpose of this Order was to facilitate the eligible persons resident in the Walkinstown area by enabling them to attend at the more convenient dispensary at Curlew Road instead of the dispensary at Cashel Road. Portions of Rathfarnham No. 3 and 4 Dispensary District and of Clondalkin Dispensary District were transferred to South City (North Crumlin) Dispensary District. The following shows the numbers of eligible persons in the dispensary districts before and after the making of the Order:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons before Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
Estimated Number of Eligible Persons after Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
South City No. 7 (North Crumlin) |
3,440 |
3 |
4,468 |
3 |
|
Clondalkin |
1,059 |
1 |
993 |
1 |
|
Rathfarnham 3 and 4 |
5,850 |
3 |
4,850 |
3 |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
V. Dublin Health Authority Area (Dispensary Districts) (No. 2) Order, 1960 [S.I. No. 253 of 1960]. |
2nd January, 1961 |
The purpose of this Order was to enable some eligible persons in the Lucan Dispensary District to attend at the Castleknock Dispensary which was much more convenient to them than Lucan Dispensary. Portion of Lucan Dispensary District was transferred to North Dublin Rural (Blanchardstown and Castleknock) Dispensary District. The following shows the numbers of eligible persons in the Districts before and after the revision:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons before Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
Estimated Number of Eligible Persons after Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Lucan |
305 |
1 |
218 |
1 |
|
North Dublin Rural (Blanchardstown and Castleknock) |
342 |
1 |
426 |
1 |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
VI. Cork Health Authority Area (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1961. [S.I. No. 63 of 1961]. |
10th April, 1961 |
This Order divided the Cobh Dispensary district which had previously been served by two doctors into two separate dispensary districts with one doctor serving each district. The Order was made at the request of the Health Authority to regularise the division of the area between the district medical officers and to afford a more equitable distribution of eligible persons between the two district medical officers. Prior to the making of the Order there were 699 eligible persons in the part of the Cobh Dispensary District then known as Cobh No. 1 and 1,345 in the part of the District known as Cobh No. 2. Following the making of the Order the numbers of eligible persons in the Cobh No. 1 and Cobh No. 2 Dispensary Districts were estimated at 968 and 935 respectively. |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
VII. Limerick Health Authority Area (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1961. [S.I. No. 108 of 1961]. |
5th June, 1961 |
The purpose of this Order was to facilitate the appointment of two additional permanent district medical officers to the Limerick Urban Dispensary Districts, which comprised the Limerick County Borough area. The five Limerick Urban Districts were amalgamated to form one dispensary district entitled the Limerick City Dispensary District and the number of permanent district medical officers serving the area was increased from five to seven. The new arrangement will facilitate any further necessary adjustment of the areas allocated to the district medical officers as the making of a Statutory Order will not be necessary to effect such adjustment. |
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The following shows the numbers of eligible persons before and after the revision:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons before Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Limerick Urban No. 1 |
3,521 |
1 |
|
Limerick Urban No. 2 |
5,361 |
1 |
|
Limerick Urban No. 3 |
4,053 |
1 |
|
Limerick Urban No. 4 |
4,614 |
1 |
|
Limerick Urban No. 5 |
4,151 |
1 |
|
Limerick City |
After Revision |
|
|
Dispensary District |
22,127 |
7 |
The area is served by 7 district medical officers but details of the allocation of eligible persons between the doctors are not available.
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
VIII. County Waterford (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1961. [S.I. No. 150 of 1961]. |
1st August, 1961 |
The purpose of this Order was to facilitate eligible persons in the townland of Effernoge which was in the Enniscorthy North Dispensary District, by enabling them to attend the more convenient dispensary in Ferns Dispensary District. |
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The Order transferred the townland of Effernoge from Enniscorthy North Dispensary District to Ferns Dispensary District. |
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The following shows the numbers of eligible persons in the two dispensary districts before and after the revision:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons before Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
Estimated Number of Eligible Persons after Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Enniscorthy North |
2,614 |
1 |
2,571 |
1 |
|
Ferns |
1,355 |
1 |
1,396 |
1 |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
IX. County Kerry (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1961. [S.I. No. 152 of 1961]. |
1st August, 1961 |
The purpose of this Order was to regularise the position in the Castlemaine and Milltown Dispensary Districts where one district medical officer had been serving the two districts for some years. The Dispensary District of Castlemaine was abolished and amalgamated with Milltown Dispensary District. |
Milltown Dispensary District:
The number of eligible persons in each of the districts at the date of the amalgamation was as follows:—
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Castlemaine |
548 |
1 |
|
Milltown |
725 |
|
|
Milltown (subsequent to making of the Order). |
1,273 |
1 |
|
Title of Dispensary |
Operative Date |
|
|
Districts Order |
of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
X. County Wicklow (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1961. [S.I. No. 172 of 1961]. |
1st September, 1961. |
The main purposes of this Order were to afford relief to the District Medical Officer, Bray No. 1 Dispensary District and to convenience eligible persons in that portion of Delgany Dispensary District adjoining Bray No. 1 Dispensary District by including them in the latter district. |
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As a consequence of the alteration of these two dispensary districts it was necessary for geographic reasons to transfer one townland from Delgany Dispensary District to Powerscourt Dispensary District. The following shows the number of eligible persons in the dispensary districts before and after the alterations:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons before Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
Number of Eligible Persons after Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Bray No. 1 |
3,028 |
1 |
3,432 |
2 |
|
Delgany |
1,727 |
1 |
1,294 |
1 |
|
Powers-court. |
424 |
1 |
453 |
1 |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
XI. Dublin Health Authority Area (Dispensary District) Order, 1961. [S.I. No. 193 of 1961]. |
2nd October, 1961. |
Portion of Clondalkin Dispensary District was transferred to South City (No. 5) Dispensary District to convenience the people in the transferred portion by enabling them to attend the more convenient dispensary at Kilmainham instead of the dispensary in Clondalkin. The following shows the number of eligible persons in the dispensary district before and after revision:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons before Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
Number of Eligible Persons after Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
South City (No. 5). |
1,866 |
2 |
2,066 |
2 |
|
Clondalkin |
1,322 |
1 |
1,122 |
1 |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
|
XII. County Meath (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1961 [S.I. No. 280 of 1961] |
21st December, 1961 |
The purpose of this Order was to afford relief to the District Medical Officer, An Uaimh Dispensary District, who had a large quota of eligible persons. |
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The District Electoral Division of |
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Tara was transferred from An Uaimh Dispensary District to Killeen Dispensary District and an additional district medical officer was appointed to An Uaimh Dispensary District. The following shows the number of eligible persons in the dispensary districts before and after the revision:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons before Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
Number of Eligible Persons after Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
An Uaimh |
3,355 |
1 |
3,139 |
2 |
|
Killeen |
331 |
1 |
547 |
1 |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
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XIII. County Kerry (Dispensary Districts) (No. 2) Order, 1961. [S.I. No. 281 of 1961.] |
30th December, 1961. |
The purpose of this Order was to regularise the position in Kilgobbin and Anascaul Dispensary Districts where one district medical Officer had been serving the two districts since 1922. |
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The Dispensary District of Kilgobbin was abolished and amalgamated with Anascaul Dispensary District. The number of eligible persons in each of the districts before and after the date of amalgamation was as follows:— |
|
Dispensary Districts |
Number of eligible persons |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Anascaul |
498 |
1 |
|
Kilgobbin |
121 |
|
|
Anascaul (subsequent of the making of the Order) |
619 |
1 |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
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XIV. County Meath (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1962. [S.I. No. 41 of 1962.] |
2nd April, 1962. |
The purpose of this Order was to afford relief to the District Medical Officer, Ceannanus Mór Dispensary District, who had a large quota of eligible persons. |
|
Kilskeer Dispensary District was abolished and amalgamated with Ceannanus Mór Dispensary District. A second district medical officer was then appointed to the enlarged Ceannanus Mór Dispensary District. The number of eligible persons in each of the districts before and after the date of amalgamation:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of eligible persons |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Ceannanus Mór |
2,013 |
1 |
|
Kilskeer |
702 |
1 |
|
Ceannanus Mór |
2,715 |
2 |
|
(subsequent to making of the Order) |
|
Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
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XV. County Kildare (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1962. [S.I. No. 145 of 1962.] |
10th September, 1962 |
The main purpose of this Order was to afford relief to the District Medical Officer, Athy Dispensary District, who had a large quote of eligible persons. |
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The effect of this Order was:— |
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(1) the abolition of Fontstown Dispensary District, portions of the district being added to Athy, Kildare, Kilcullen and Monasterevan dispensary districts. |
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(2) the abolition of Moone Dispensary District, portions of the district being added to Athy and Castledermot dispensary districts. |
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(3) transfer of some townlands from Castledermot Dispensary District to Athy Dispensary District. |
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(4) the transfer of some townlands from Kilcullen Dispensary District to Kildare and Ballymore Eustace Dispensary Districts. |
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(5) the transfer of some townlands from Naas Dispensary District to Ballymore Eustace Dispensary District. |
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The following shows the number of eligible persons in each of the dispensary districts affected by the Order before and after the revisions:— |
|
Dispensary District |
Number of Eligible Persons before Revision |
Estimated Number of District Medical Officers |
Number of Eligible Persons after Revision |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Athy |
3,407 |
1 |
4,591 |
2 |
|
Fontstown |
673 |
1 |
— |
— |
|
Moone |
877 |
1 |
— |
— |
|
Kildare |
1,260 |
1 |
1,370 |
1 |
|
Kilcullen |
1,115 |
1 |
1,182 |
1 |
|
Monasterevan |
1,310 |
1 |
1,408 |
1 |
|
Castledermot |
1,479 |
1 |
1,618 |
1 |
|
Ballymore Eustace |
365 |
1 |
425 |
1 |
|
Naas |
1,945 |
1 |
1,909 |
1 |
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Title of Dispensary Districts Order |
Operative Date of Order |
Effect of Order |
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XVI. County Laoighis (Dispensary Districts) Order, 1962. [S.I. No. 213 of 1962]. |
19th December, 1962. |
The numbers of eligible persons in Ballyroan and Abbeyleix Dispensary Districts were fairly small and the health authority submitted a proposal for the amalgamation of the dispensary districts—the combined area to be served by one district medical officer. |
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Ballyroan Dispensary District was abolished and amalgamated with Abbeyleix Dispensary District. The following shows the number of eligible persons in each of the districts before and after the date of the amalgamation:— |
|
Dispensary Districts |
Number of Eligible Persons |
Number of District Medical Officers |
|
Abbeyleix |
829 |
1 |
|
Ballyroan |
428 |
1 |
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Abbeyleix (subsequent to the making of the Order). |
1,257 |
1 |
PART B
IN ADDITION to the appointments as district medical officer made in conjunction with the revision of dispensary districts, details of which are given above, the following additional district medical officers were appointed in the past five years, without statutory revision of the districts at the time of the appointments.
|
Dispensary District to which appointment was made |
Date of appointment of additional District Medical Officer(s) |
Details regarding the Dispensary Districts |
|
Cork Health Authority: |
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Cork Rural |
30th December, 1958 19th March, 1962 |
These two additional appointments were made to afford relief to the two district medical officers in Cork Rural Dispensary District as they had very large quotas of eligible persons. |
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There are at present 9,120 eligible persons in the district served by the four district medical officers. A general revision of the Cork Urban and Rural Dispensary Districts is at present under consideration by the health authority. |
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Dublin Health Authority: |
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Finglas and Glasnevin (No. 1) |
24th February, 1959 31st March, 1961 21st January, 1963 |
These three additional appointments were made to meet the progressive increase in the number of eligible persons in the dispensary districts with the completion of local authority housing schemes and to afford relief to the two district medical officers in the district. There are at present 8,947 eligible persons in the district served by five district medical officers. |
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Coolock and Drumcondra (No. 2) |
20th November, 1961 |
This additional appointment was made to afford relief to the District Medical Officer who had a large quota of eligible persons. When the appointment was made there were 4,520 eligible persons in the district; at present there are 3,992 eligible persons in the district served by two district medical officers. |
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Galway County Council: |
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Galway City |
18th April, 1962 |
This additional appointment was made to afford relief to the three district medical officers serving this area, as there were 11,095 eligible persons served by the three doctors. |
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Waterford Health Authority: |
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Waterford Urban No. 2 |
1st October, 1962 |
This additional appointment was made to afford relief to the district medical officer of the Waterford Urban No. 2 Dispensary District where there are an estimated 5,584 eligible persons. |
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Dublin South City |
19th November, 1962 |
This additional appointment was made to afford relief to the district medical officer in South City No. 6 area where there were 2,670 eligible persons. The South City Numbers 1 and 6 areas were adjusted and an additional district medical officer was appointed to the Number 1 area. Following the re-arrangement there were 1,600 eligible persons in the Number 6 area—served by one district medical officer and 4,530 in the Number 1 area—served by three district medical officers. (The Dublin South City Dispensary District is divided into 7 areas for administration purposes.) |
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Wexford County Council: |
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Wexford Town |
1st January, 1963 |
This additional appointment was made to afford relief to the district medical officer serving the No. 2 area of this district. There were 3,987 eligible persons in the area and these were divided between the two district medical officers as follows:— |
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No. 2 Area—1,854 |
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No. 3 Area—2,133 |
DISTRICT in which the number of District Medical Officers was reduced.
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South City No. 2 (Castle Street) |
31st October, 1959 |
Owing to movements of the population in the area as a result of re-housing, the numbers of eligible persons in the South City No. 2 Dispensary District declined steadily and at the 31st December, 1958 there were only 1,084 eligible persons in the district which was served by two district medical officers. This number did not warrant the services of two doctors and it was decided not to fill the second permanent post. |
