asked the Minister for Health the total number of primary schools in which medical inspections have been completed in each of the years 1955 to date, and the percentage of the total number of schools which this number represents.
Written Answers. - Schools Medical Inspection.
81.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the tabular statement hereunder in respect of each of the years 1955 to 1961. The information is not yet available in my Department in respect of periods subsequent to 31st December, 1961.
|
Year ended 31st December |
Number of National Schools in which school health examinations were carried out |
Percentage of the total number of National Schools in which examinations were carried out |
|
1955 |
2,138 |
44% |
|
1956 |
2,464 |
51% |
|
1957 |
2,051 |
42% |
|
1958 |
2,223 |
46% |
|
1959 |
2,422 |
50% |
|
1960 |
2,322 |
48% |
|
1961 |
2,180 |
45% |
In assessing the foregoing figures it should be borne in mind that, in general, the larger schools are visited annually and that the schools visited less frequently are the smaller schools.
82.
asked the Minister for Health the total estimated number of additional medical officers required to ensure that school inspection would be carried out as per statute.
I presume that the Deputy is referring to the School Health Examination Service under Section 19 of the Health Act, 1953.
In order to ensure that each school child to whom the service applies is examined three times in his national school life, at certain stages during that period as stipulated in the relevant Regulations, it is desirable, although not essential, that each school should be visited annually. This has not, up to the present, been practicable in the case, e.g. of some of the smaller, more remote schools and to achieve it in all cases would involve employment of some additional medical staff; but as the position would vary from county to county and as, in general, the examinations are carried out by public health medical officers who combine the examinations with other duties, I am unable to estimate the extent of the necessary addition.