asked the Minister for Health the number of mothers to whom infants were born and who came under the free of direct charge mother and infant schemes of current health legislation, expressed as a percentage of maternity cases in each of the years 1960, 1961 and 1962.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Maternity and Infant Care Service.
6.
I presume that the Deputy is referring to the maternity and infant care service provided by health authorities under the Health Act, 1953, for persons in the lower and middle income groups.
In the year ended 31st December, 1960, the number of women who availed themselves of the service, according to figures supplied to my Department by the health authorities, was 45,224, of whom 40,820 were delivered of babies, alive or still-born. It is not possible to state what proportion this represents of all maternity cases in the country since the number of pregnancies terminating in abortions, miscarriages or still-births outside the scheme is not known. The total number of live births, including multiple live births, registered in the year, however, was 60,735.
In the year ended 31st December, 1961, the corresponding figures were 45,651, 41,207 and 59,825.
Information in respect of the year ended 31st December, 1962, has not yet been supplied to my Department by the health authorities.