asked the Minister for Health if he will state whether local authorities are required to provide institutional and specialist services for Army personnel under the Health Act, and whether the cost of such services will be borne by the State or by the local authority.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Services for Army Personnel.
Section 15 of the Health Act, 1953 requires a health authority to provide institutional services for (a) persons insured under the Social Welfare Act, 1952; and (b) adult persons whose yearly means are less than £600. It is presumed that practically all soldiers are in one or other of these two categories. No exception from the provision of Section 15 has been made in the case of Army personnel and, consequently, health authorities would appear to be liable for the provision of institutional and specialist services for such personnel under the section mentioned to the same extent as they are responsible for making available such services for other members of the community in the corresponding categories. The cost of providing such services will be met in the same manner as the cost of other services provided under the section in question.
Does that mean that, in the case of County Kildare, which maintains three military establishments at the Curragh Camp, Kildare and Naas, the ratepayers of the county will be liable to bear a substantial proportion of the cost of providing this treatment, although the personnel for whom they are providing the treatment, are a personnel who serve not only the county alone but the entire country? Is it proposed that the Department of Defence which, up to now, met these charges will in future be exempt from paying charges peculiar to the maintenance of health standards for Army personnel?
County Kildare is in no different position from that of any other county in regard to providing these services for those who live in County Kildare. If, however, the Deputy's view is that the maintenance of Curragh Camp imposes an undue burden on the County of Kildare, perhaps he will put down a question asking the Minister for Defence whether he is prepared to transfer Curragh Camp to some other county.
The answer I have got from the Minister is typical of the irresponsibility he displays and I hope that Deputy Dooley will now take note of the way in which the ratepayers in County Kildare will be treated by the new Minister for Health. I am putting to the Minister this consideration: does he think it fair that a substantial portion of the Army, that is, the portion quartered on three barracks— the Curragh, one of the largest military establishments in the country, Kildare barracks and Naas barracks—should become a liability on the ratepayers in County Kildare, when, in fact, the services which they render to the community are services given to other counties just as generously as they are given to Kildare? Surely, the Minister for Defence ought to make a contribution——
Is this a speech? I would hate to interrupt Deputy Norton.
The Minister would be daft if he did not interrupt. Surely the Department of Defence ought to be compelled to meet some of the liability in this matter.
I gather that——
I do not expect any more answers from the Minister. He does not know anything about the matter anyway.
I gather Deputy Norton is aware that the Department of Defence or the Minister for Finance pays a very substantial sum to the Kildare County Council in respect of rates upon these camps.
Pays no rates.
He does not pay rates, but he pays a very substantial grant in lieu of rates, and the Deputy knows that, or he ought to know it, because he was a member of Government for two separate terms. In addition to that, the personnel of the Army circulate a great deal of money in County Kildare.
They have always done that.
If the Deputy thinks that imposes an undue burden on County Kildare, then let him put down a question, as I suggested he should, asking the Minister for Defence whether he proposes to remove the Curragh Camp and place it somewhere else.
If it will help the Minister, I will put down a question.