Vol. 396 No. 5
11 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that there is only one consultant psychogeriatrician employed in the State, namely at the James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Dublin 15; if he intends to recruit further specialists in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I refer the Deputy to the report of the Working Party on Services for the Elderly —The Years Ahead which made a number of recommendations regarding the care of the elderly mentally ill and infirm. Arising from this report and from previous recommendations of Comhairle na nOspidéal, two posts of consultant physician with a special interest in the psychiatry of old age have recently been approved in the Eastern Health Board area. These posts are currently filled in a temporary capacity. As regards other health board areas, each of the boards have been requested to formulate plans for submission to the Department for the implementation of the recommendations of The Years Ahead.
Will the Minister give a commitment to the House that the recommendations of the report be referred to in relation to the appointment of a psychogeriatrician and a geriatrician will be implemented, and within what timescale?
The question refers to James Connolly Memorial Hospital. I cannot allow an extension of that question.
But the Minister's reply dealt with——
That may be so but the Chair is concerned solely with the subject matter of the question before him. No. 12, please.
