asked the Minister for Health if he will consider making health a national charge.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Financing of Health Services.
8.
The transfer of the entire cost of health services to the Exchequer, if that is what the Deputy has in mind, is not being considered. What is being considered, however, is the amount of supplementary grants to be made available additional to normal 50 per cent grants in the coming year.
In view of the regionalisation of health services, does the Minister not consider it now opportune to change the entire financial structure of the health services.
I could not agree to that and the Deputy will be aware—he comes from a rural constituency—that about 75 per cent of the cost of health services in respect of purely rural constituencies is already paid from central funds arising from the rate remission for those engaged in agriculture. In regard to the constituency which he represents there would be no case for that whatever.
I refute completely what the Minister says. If he represented a constituency such as I represent——
Has the Deputy a question to put?
Yes, I am asking a question but I want to nail the point the Minister is trying to make. Is the Minister really serious in suggesting that rural constituencies would not benefit from a different type of financial structure in relation to the health schemes?
This is not a matter that could be discussed during parliamentary questions.
Does the Minister not agree that in a constituency such as Donegal the same service cannot be provided as is being provided in Dublin or in eastern counties?
The Deputy is not going to bring me into a discussion on the fundamental subject of the application of taxation and rates to the whole community and the Deputy knows just as well as I do——
That is the purpose of my question.
——that the impact of taxes and rates has not only a financial element, it has a psychological element and I do not know how I can be expected to discuss, in the course of a parliamentary question, the division of taxation between rates and taxes, particularly in a rural area. This could not possibly arise on the occasion of a parliamentary question and the Deputy knows that as well as I do.
Question No. 9.
Would the Minister not agree that the people in rural constituencies are entitled to the same standard of health service as people in areas along the eastern seaboard and that they should not be expected to pay more money for a lesser type of health service than people living in eastern areas?
I am not aware that they are receiving a lesser standard of health service.
Ask those people who are trying to get——
I am not aware of it.