Vol. 501 No. 3
82 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of paediatric specialist consultants in each health board area, including the planned new boards within the existing Eastern Health Board area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5949/99]
Comhairle na nOspidéal is the statutory body with responsibility to regulate the number and type of consultant appointments in hospitals providing services under the Health Act, 1970.
The information requested by the Deputy and maintained by Comhairle na nOspidéal is as follows: there are currently 77 posts of consultant paediatrician in the public health services in Ireland. They are distributed in the health board areas as follows: eastern, 34; midland, 4; mid-western, 4; north-eastern, 5; north-western, 6; south-eastern, 9; southern, 7; western, 8. The Health (Eastern Regional Health Authority) Bill, 1998 is currently before the Oireachtas and has not yet been passed into law, the new structures in the Eastern Health Board region have not been set up, consequently the data for the proposed new area health boards is not available.
