asked the Minister for Health the facts and/or studies that are available to him concerning the health of those living in dense urban areas; and whether there is evidence to indicate a relatively high degree of some ailments related to the urban environment on the part of city dwellers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - City Dwellers' Health.
20.
The main sources of information relevant to this question are: 1. Life expectancy tables which show that the life expectancy of persons who live in urban areas is slightly less than for the entire State. 2. Perinatal mortality rates which do not show any significant differences between urban and other areas. 3. Numbers of admissions to general hospitals which do not reveal any obvious difference between persons who live in urban areas and those who live elsewhere. 4. Numbers of admissions to psychiatric hospitals have not produced definite evidence of difference between urban and rural areas. 5. Mortality rates specific to certain causes which indicate a higher rate of mortality from cancer and from diseases of the respiratory system in Dublin and other major cities than in the entire State. 6. A study of air pollution, living standards and respiratory diseases in children being carried out by the Medico-Social Research Board, which at a preliminary stage of the study, indicates a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms in children who live in the more densely populated areas. 7. Notifications of infectious diseases which indicate a higher incidence of gastro-enteritis in infants in the more densely populated areas.
Is the Minister concerned that at least four of the indicators to which he referred in his comprehensive reply, for which I am grateful, indicate that there is a significantly higher health and mortality risk for people living in urban areas, and specifically Dublin, and will he do all in his power to ensure that this will be borne in mind in planning policy and policy in relation to the infrastructure of the city generally, which would be administered by his colleague? Are there any other steps the Minister could envisage which might help to correct this very serious situation?
I would not like to give the impression that living in Dublin is particularly dangerous, but there is some evidence that it is less healthy than living in the countryside. There are a number of ways in which progress can be made. As the Deputy indicated, primarily it would be a matter for my colleague the Minister for the Environment, to try to ensure clean air, water and an improvement in our natural environment. I will also be bringing forward programmes in the preventive medicine area and in the health education field to see if the problem can be tackled from that point of view.
Would the Minister give special attention to the city centre?
And the city suburbs.
The Minister has been giving very good attention to the suburbs for some years, but what about the city centre?