Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Mar 1991

Vol. 406 No. 3

Written Answers. - Community Care Services.

Roger T. Garland

Ceist:

109 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Health if, having regard to the Government's pledge to expand community care, he will give consideration, as a first step to increasing the number of public health nurses; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that, in real terms, the number of public health nurses per head of the population has decreased in recent years; and his views on whether this contradicts the Government's commitment to a health service based on primary health care.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

In 1990, my Department approved the filling of 26 additional posts of public health nurse.

Over the period 1987-89, when overall employment in the public service fell significantly a particular effort was made to protect employment levels in primary health care.

The additional resources allocated to community-based services in the 1990 and 1991 budgets, allied to the development programme extending over the next seven years outlined in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress are evidence of the firm commitment of the Government to the development of primary health care.