asked the Minister for Health the number of women who are prescribed contraceptive pills under the medical card scheme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Contraceptive Prescriptions.
2.
As I intimated to Deputy O'Connell in reply to a Parliamentary question on 25th March last as to the number of prescriptions for "the pill" which were issued to medical card holders, the information was not then available and it would be necessary to await the processing of claims for the month of March, 1973.
The figure for that month has now become available and was 4,717.
In some cases I understand that "the pill" is described as a regulator. Is it not true that the total number of prescriptions for the year would be about 70,000?
I have no idea of what would be the total number in the year but the Deputy is correct when he says that "the pill" is not used necessarily as a contraceptive but is used also as a regulator.
My information is that the figures are available to the Minister but he seems reluctant to give them.
I do not know what access the Deputy has to that sort of information. The information has not been given to me by my Department and I accept that it is not available.
It is available.
How does the Deputy know that it is available?
I know.
When the Deputy had the responsibility of answering questions, he knew nothing about anything.
It is confidential.
The Deputy says the information is confidential but yet he asks me to give it in public.