asked the Minister for Health if he will state the number of dispensary districts in Ireland which are without a permanent dispensary doctor; the length such posts have been vacant; and what action he intends to take to fill them and when.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dispensary Doctor Posts.
5.
The number of dispensary districts served by district medical officers on a temporary basis is now 232. There are still 441 permanent district medical officers. This situation results from the decision taken in 1965 to suspend further permanent appointments of district medical officers to facilitate the introduction of the proposed new general medical service with maximum possible choice of doctor.
The original decision was modified in respect of a limited number of districts. The outcome of competitions conducted by the Local Appointments Commission in respect of 33 of these posts is still awaited. Apart from this limited number of posts, district medical officer posts now filled on a temporary basis will continue on this basis until the new service with choice of doctor is in operation.
Is the Minister aware that medical card holders and the poor in many places have suffered due to the long delay in finalising the health scheme?
I am not so aware.
If the Minister is not aware then he must not know what is happening in certain counties.
6.
asked the Minister for Health the number of dispensary appointments, temporary or permanent, which are unfilled in (a) Ireland and (b) the western counties of Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal; and the total number of dispensaries in these counties.
I would refer the Deputy to the reply which I gave on 23rd June to a similar question by Deputy Desmond.
There are 195 dispensaries in the counties named in the question.
The Minister's reply on the 23rd June was not specific as regards temporary appointments nor did he give any statistics relating to this. I would ask the Minister, therefore, the number of dispensary vacancies in those western counties named in the question which are unfilled?
The Deputy will have to ask a separate question about that.
It is already asked.
The Deputy will have to state whether he refers to the dispensary districts served by non-resident doctors, whether he refers to permanent appointments or temporary appointments, whether they are districts served by a permanent district medical officer of an adjoining district. I could not possibly give all this information in the reply.
The question here asks specifically which counties have vacant dispensaries. The counties are named and all I want to know is the number of dispensary vacancies in each county which are unfilled.
I have answered the question as best I can. The Deputy knows very well the system is changing in any event to choice of doctor. There is no point in going into all this because the change is taking place.
Will the Minister state if this change will definitely come into effect on April 1st next?
The plan is it should come into effect on 1st April, 1971, in principle, over as large an area as possible.
Is there any reason why the Minister cannot give the figures now of vacant dispensaries in the counties——
There are a good many classifications of these positions.
It is a separate question.