asked the Minister for Health whether he is prepared to reintroduce without further delay a system whereby financial assistance shall be granted to local health authorities for the erection of dispensary buildings.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Erection of Dispensary Buildings.
8.
I have already indicated in the House on a number of occasions in the recent past that it is not possible to re-introduce a scheme for the making of capital grants towards the erection of dispensary buildings. There are no moneys at my disposal to enable me to do so. The Hospitals Trust Fund is already fully committed in relation to hospital building works of an essential character and it would be quite impossible for the Fund to finance such a scheme of grants.
During the greater part of the period from 1952 to 1957 when grants were being made available from the Fund towards the cost of providing dispensaries, the Fund was being assisted to quite a significant extent by the Exchequer. If the State were again to come to the aid of the Fund it would involve further demands on the Exchequer. As Deputies are aware, it was necessary for the Government to introduce only recently, and in face of the stiffest opposition, special measures to raise the additional revenue needed to meet the present level of expenditure on the public services. It would, therefore, be unreasonable to expect the Exchequer, with the other pressing demands which it must meet in any event, to bear the cost of subsidising the erection of new dispensaries.
The replacement of unsatisfactory dispensary premises is the responsibility of the health authorities concerned. A health authority may, with my approval, obtain the requisite loan accommodation from their Treasurers or the Local Loans Fund. Loans from the Local Loans Fund can be on a long term basis so as to achieve the situation that the impact on the local rates will be minimal. As I told the Deputy when replying to the debate on the Estimate for my Department on 10th May, 1962, the Cork Health Authority could, by reason of the special Local Loans Fund facilities and without other assistance, replace all the defective dispensary premises in their area at a cost to the rates of less than a penny in the pound.
All I can do is to wait to read the reply to know what is in it and I am not finding fault with the loudspeaker system either. I do not know what the Minister is doing with it.