asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the advisability of a national ambulance service based on four major regional areas.

Last week in replying in this House to a somewhat similar question asked by Deputy L'Estrange I said that I did not consider that a better service would result from the establishment of a national accident emergency service. I have nothing to add to that reply.

Would the Minister not agree that it would make for greater efficiency?

No, I would not.

Is the Minister completely satisfied with the present ambulance service?

Yes, in so far as it is possible to be completely satisfied with anything.

Of course, if the Minister has stopped thinking in the matter, there is nothing I can do.

Arising out of that reply, I wonder could the Minister clarify a matter? It has been brought to my attention that a man was killed in a motor accident on a road; a public ambulance came upon the scene with reasonable promptitude and because the ambulance staff judged the man to be dead, they refused to carry the remains to the nearest hospital. The remains stayed in the motor car for three hours after the accident and were subsequently removed either by the military authorities or the local authority in a carry-all van.

This is a particular instance that the Deputy is raising and the matter that Deputy Esmonde raised is a general matter.

Then may I ask if this occurrence, if my information is correct, is consistent with the Minister's belief that the ambulance system is serving effectively? It may be an exceptional case, but if it is not, I would suggest that the Minister would want to give more explicit directions as to how the service should act. I am sure it is a case that none of us would wish to see recur and if it is possible in the present situation, perhaps steps will be taken to prevent it.

In saying, first of all, to Deputy Esmonde that I am satisfied with the service, I am satisfied, of course, that there is a training scheme going on all the time. This is a continuous process. The service is improving. The ambulance drivers will obviously be up to 100 per cent when the training programme is completed and, of course, the service would be better then. What I really mean by saying that I am satisfied with the service is that the service is so organised that the very best that can be done is being done. To come to Deputy Dillon's specific point, I was not aware that the situation was or could be like that and I am rather taken at a disadvantage.

I do not wish to take the Minister at a disadvantage. If an allegation is made, will he enquire into it?

Yes.

Would it not ordinarily be the duty of an ambulance service to remove the remains from the scene of such an accident to the nearest hospital where they could be respectfully disposed of, even though the person——

I took it that was the case.

So did I.

Would the Minister be able to say if an order which was made by his predecessor, Deputy MacEntee, that dead bodies and bodies which were presumed to be dead were not to be taken in ambulance was revoked, and that, following a serious accident on the Dublin-Navan road some years ago, they can be taken in an ambulance?

That is what I understood.

Perhaps the Minister would look into it?