asked the Minister for Health what discussions he has had with the Irish Medical Association, the Medical Union, the Irish Dental Association, the Irish Nurses' Organisation and other professional bodies regarding amendments in health service laws; what progress has been made; and when he proposes to introduce legislation to improve the health services.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Improvement of Health Services.
47.
I have met the Irish Medical Association and the Medical Union jointly on two occasions to discuss the reorganisation of the general medical services, as proposed by the White Paper. It has been arranged that detailed discussions on this reorganisation are to continue with officials of my Department.
Discussions are being held concurrently with the various pharmaceutical interests regarding the proposed new system for providing drugs and medicines through retail chemists for persons eligible for general medical services. The Irish Pharmaceutical and Allied Industries Association, the Wholesale Drug Federation, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and the Irish Drug Association have been involved in these discussions.
With regard to dental care, precedence is being given to the improvement of the present services for children and others now entitled to treatment. I have not, therefore, undertaken any negotiations yet with the Irish Dental Association on the broadening of the scope of the dental services on the lines set out in paragraph 96 of the White Paper.
The planned development of the district nursing services, which is now in progress, was earlier discussed with the Irish Nurses' Organisation and I have been in correspondence with that organisation regarding some other aspects of the White Paper proposals about which they wrote to me. I have informed the organisation that I intend to study further the various suggestions made by them and that I will arrange that my Department will give full consideration to these suggestions. If further discussions with the organisation should be necessary I shall, of course, arrange them.
Progress in the discussions with each of these interests is generally satisfactory but a number of issues remain for clarification and decision. I had earlier expressed to the House my hope that the legislation to give effect to the changes would be introduced this month. According as the discussions proceeded, however, it became evident that it would be necessary to defer completing the draft of certain parts of the legislation until relevant points had been cleared up. I, therefore, decided to postpone the introduction of the Bill for a little while longer.
Is the Minister going back on a statement he made at a certain function this week that it would be introduced before Christmas?
It would be just a formal introduction.
Could the Minister give the dates on which he met the IMA and the medical unions, even within a month?
Last Thursday week and three weeks before that. These were personal meetings with me. There had been discussions with officials of my Department all the time.
The White Paper was nearly two years old before the Minister met these organisations. Would he now give an assurance that there will be some expedition to bring about the improvements which are so urgently needed in our health services?
The situation had not developed to the point where there was any need for representatives of the IMA and the medical unions to meet me. Discussions had been going on all the time over the whole range of the White Paper proposals. As I said, further questions are still being discussed with the officials of my Department, and I expect I will meet them again on at least one occasion. I do not accept the Deputy's implication that there was any unnecessary delay in regard to the consultative process.
Where human misery and unhappiness are involved, there should be more expedition.
That statement is not justified either. As the Deputy knows, my Department have done a great deal since January, 1966, to relieve human misery and suffering in all sorts of ways.