asked the Minister for Health whether he is aware that no ophthalmic examination of children in the schools of West Donegal has been made for a considerable time, and whether he will arrange for an early inspection as there are now many cases in the area of young children suffering from defective vision.

I am advised that, owing to a number of circumstances, the medical staff of the Donegal County Council were not in a position during the past year to undertake the medical examination of school children in the county as a whole with the same frequency as in other years. Steps have been taken by the local authority to increase the frequency of medical examination sessions and I have no doubt that any accumulation of cases requiring attention will now be dealt with rapidly.