(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Health when it is proposed to appoint consultant orthodontists and consultant oral surgeons to the regional health boards.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Regional Health Board Appointments.
23.
Discussions are still in progress with the staff organisations concerned regarding the level of salary and other conditions for five posts of orthodontist to be located at Cork, Dublin, Galway, Sligo and Waterford. I hope these discussions will be completed shortly and that it will then be possible to advertise the posts.
I have agreed to the creation of four posts of oral surgeon to be located at Cork, Dublin, Galway and at one other centre yet to be decided. Decisions have yet to be reached as to the precise location of the fourth post and also about the back-up services needed and funding.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Would the Minister agree that there is an urgent need for these consultants? Furthermore, the few he proposes to appoint would not appear to be sufficient for the country in general. Could he give us a more accurate timetable for the appointment of these consultants?
They are new full-time posts of orthodontist. I said last year that I was very anxious to have these posts created and to have people appointed to them. The qualifications for the posts have been agreed with the Local Appointments Commission. Discussions with the Irish Dental Association and the Local Government and Public Services Union took place in the Department quite recently regarding the proposed salary levels and conditions of service for the posts. Both of those organisations are now considering the issues and the Department are awaiting their observations. We will go ahead as soon as possible.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister aware that his predecessor, the Taoiseach, promised that these consultants would be appointed in 1980? Now it looks as if they will not be appointed for years.
I am sure the Deputy lives in a real world like the rest of us. He should recognise that the unions representing people who apply for the appointments are concerned naturally about the level of the appointments, the salary and conditions of service. I have done my best to speed up developments. We are now awaiting the observations of the unions so that we can go ahead and advertise the posts. We will do that as quickly as possible.
A final supplementary on this question.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister suggesting that his predecessor, the Taoiseach, was living in some sort of a fairyland and not in the real world when he promised that these people would be appointed in 1980? That seems to be what his answer amounted to. No answer to that one.
I am not suggesting that.
(Cavan-Monaghan): It follows.