asked the Minister for Health if he will consider designating the Ballyvaughan area, County Clare, as a remote district for the appointment of a doctor there.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Clare Area.
6.
A candidate has been recommended for appointment to the post of general practitioner in this area and the MidWestern Health Board is in touch with him. I do not propose, therefore, to intervene at this stage.
That is satisfactory if the appointment is made.
A person has been recommended for appointment but there are some difficulties. I cannot tell the Deputy that this appointee will take the appointment.
Since the last doctor retired the post has been advertised a number of times. If the present doctor does not take up the appointment because of the geographical situation of Ballyvaughan and the scarcity of communicating roads—Ballyvaughan is bounded on one side by the sea, with the Clare Burren on the other and it is sparsely populated at each end—will the Minister do as I suggest? It would not suit a doctor from the adjoining areas such as Lisdoonvarna, Corofin or Kinvara in Galway, to give service to the people in that area. It was to give an incentive to a doctor to go into that area that I put down this question.
I accept what the Deputy said about the difficulties in the area, because, needless to remark, he knows more about it than I do. From the information at my disposal it appears that it may be necessary to redesignate the area if a doctor will not accept an appointment under the ordinary terms.