Vol. 476 No. 7
130 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if there are elements of positive discrimination exercised by his Department towards particular areas in view of the fact that areas of rural Ireland contribute substantially to our current Objective One status; the form that any such positive discrimination takes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8033/97]
Limerick East): Equity is one of the key principles underlying the health strategy “Shaping A Healthier Future”. The aim of health policy is that access to healthcare will be determined by actual need for services, rather than ability to pay or geographic location. The health services are structurned to meet the demands of different groups throughout the county. The acute hospital sector, for example, has centres of excellence dispersed geographically which provide national and regional speciality services for the population, in addition to locally-based services.
The question raised by the Deputy raises the issue of positive discrimination towards particular areas. There are many examples of this in the health services which are being continuously reviewed and adapted, as appropriate. The continuous development of community based services is a feature of this process. In the primary health care sector, for example, specific arrangements and provisions are made for meeting the needs of the population in rural areas. In particular, in regard to general practitioner services under the general medical services scheme, special incentives and payments are provided for doctors in rural practices, including special payments to dispensing doctors in areas where a pharmacy might not be viable. Significant progress has been achieved in relation to the development of community based services through the establishment of community health centres, linkages with local GPs, hospital services, voluntary agencies and direct family involvement. The North-Western Health Board, for example, has pioneered developments in this area. Other health boards have similarly developed excellent programmes to meet the needs of both the rural and urban population in partnership with the local community and local service providers.
