Jimmy Deenihan
Question:81 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health if he will make the nine month development check-up for children available to the entire population and not just to towns with a population of over 5,000 people.
Written Answers. - Development Check-up for Children.
Developmental Paediatric Examinations Clinics are presently held in towns with populations of over 5,000. I would of course like to make these examinations available nationwide in all towns, regardless of size, but the resources currently devoted to running the child health services, including the community paediatric development services, must compete on an ongoing basis with other worthy projects for which my Department has responsibility. It is my duty to spend the finite resources available to me in the best way that I can. In the present economic circumstances any increase in the amount spent on the child health services can only be achieved at the expense of other projects.
In addition I would point out that many developments have taken place since these examinations were first introduced. The standard of care has risen enormously in the past twenty years and the vast majority of children are now born in consultant staffed maternity units.