asked the Minister for Health if he will state (a) the number of persons insured under the national health insurance scheme and the number of patients suffering from tuberculosis operated on in the new county hospital, Mullingar, since 1st January, 1953, and (b) the number of ratepayers of Westmeath operated on since that date.

The information sought by the Deputy is not normally available in my Department but I am informed by the Westmeath County Council that the number of persons insured under the national health insurance scheme who were operated on in the county hospital, Mullingar, between 1st January last and 16th June, 1953, was 61. There were four tuberculosis patients operated on during the same period. I am also informed that the number of ratepayers of Westmeath operated on in the period was 135.