asked the Minister for Health what preventive measures are being taken in the case of a family in Dublin (name supplied) who are exposed to active tuberculosis.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - TB Prevention.
10.
The furnishing of the information requested by the Deputy would be a matter for the Eastern Health Board who are primarily responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease and the prevention of the spread of infection in persons in the Dublin area.
I did ask the Minister about a specific case of a family with sub-tenants in the house where there is active tuberculosis and the preventive measures that should be taken to prevent the child of this family from contracting it are not being taken. The medical officer has not taken adequate preventive measures in this case. This case is not for the Eastern Health Board; the need is to remove the family urgently from a source of active tuberculosis. It is very important that we should have an answer to that and I did not get that answer.
The Deputy can get the information from the Eastern Health Board. I do not propose to take away their responsibilities in this manner by answering questions of this kind. The Deputy can get all the information he requires from the Eastern Health Board.
Since the establishment of the Eastern Health Board we do not know where we are. There is an assistant city medical officer who is the medical officer for Dublin Corporation. He has been appointed since the retirement of the city medical officer. I am asking the Minister for Health what he can do as Minister in a case where a husband, wife and child are exposed to active tuberculosis. As Minister for Health he has a responsibility in the matter.
I will arrange for an officer of the health board to communicate with the Deputy.