asked the Minister for Health the present position regarding his negotiations with the medical organisations concerning the remuneration of consultants; and the nature of his latest proposals.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Medical Consultants' Remuneration.
36.
The Deputy will be aware that I have circulated a draft of regulations under section 46 (3) of the Health Act, 1970, which provide for the abolition of the present income and valuation limits in so far as entitlement to hospital services at public ward level is concerned. If these regulations are approved by the Dáil and Seanad, I will make regulations under section 72 of the Act of 1970 providing that, for the present, the services of consultants at inpatient or out-patient level will not be made available free to certain categories of persons.
The limits in the latter respect will be defined in the regulations to be made under section 72. Persons affected by the limits set will in the meantime require to make their own arrangements for consultant services. They will be entitled, however, to maintenance in public beds and to avail of the scheme of subsidies for maintenance in private and semiprivate accommodation in public voluntary hospitals and health board hospitals. They will also be entitled to contributions if they choose instead to be treated in approved private hospitals or homes.
The restricted scheme which I outlined above is being introduced so as to facilitate the carrying through of negotiations with the medical organisations which represent the consultants on the question of conditions of service for those who would be participating in the full scheme. I met the organisations last Thursday and a further meeting between the organisations and officers of my Department and representatives of the employing authorities is to take place today.
What are the limits which the Minister proposes to fix in the section 72 order?
I am not in a position to say that at present.
Would the Minister not agree that, if he will not indicate what the proposed limits are, it is impossible for people to make their own arrangements with regard to consultancy services as he suggested in the reply?
As soon as the Deputy facilitates me in getting the orders through this House, I will then announce the limits and that should be in a matter of a week.
Is the Minister aware that it now transpires ten days before 1st April that, in fact, free consultancy services will not be available to many people who understood up to now that they would get them? In spite of the fact that this was announced last August, nobody knows exactly who will get them and who will not because the Minister will not indicate what the limit will be.
The Deputy is embarking on a statement.
I am not prepared to give that sort of information now because discussions are going on between officers of my Department and the consultants' organisations.
Question No. 37.
Is the Minister aware of the position people are in vis-à-vis the Voluntary Health Insurance Board? They still do not know whether they should be insured from 1st April which is only ten days away.
They will know in a short time.
Is that soon enough for them?
They do not all insure at the same time.
The Chair has called the next question.
Does the Minister not agree that, this announcement having been made last August that everybody would be free from 1st April, we now find ourselves on 21st March not knowing who will be free, but with the certainty that a large number of people who were told last August they would be free will not be free?
Maybe I could give the Deputy a hint and tell him that the limit of £1,600 will be brought up to a level commensurate with wage levels at present as against the position when it was fixed at £1,600.
Deputy Cluskey cannot blame that on Fianna Fáil.