asked the Minister for Health when the County Wexford Health Authority will be in a position to introduce a free denture scheme for those in the lower income group.

The County Wexford Health Authority are not in a position to provide dentures for all persons in the lower income group who require them because of a shortage of dental personnel and of the necessity to allocate the major portion of available resources to the treatment of children. The health authority are providing dentures for certain people in the lower income group who, on medical grounds, are entitled to priority treatment.

Until sufficient dental personnel are available it will not be possible to provide a denture service for all eligible adults in the lower income group in County Wexford.

One of the three wholetime dental surgeon posts for the county has been vacant for a considerable time. This post was included in a recent competition held by the Local Appointments Commission but I am not yet in a position to say whether it will be filled as a result of this competition.

Am I right in thinking that the post in question was advertised before and not filled? This is not the first time an effort was made to fill it?

I think that is right. I should add that I am pressing the health authority to agree to create a post of senior dental surgeon.

Were the rates of remuneration for the post increased since the earlier advertisement?

They are at arbitration at the moment.

The real truth is that we have no dental service.

128.

asked the Minister for Health the total moneys expended by Galway County Council on the dental health services for each of the financial years from 1964 to 1967 inclusive.

The total expenditure by Galway Health Authority on dental services in respect of each of the financial years 1964-65, 1965-66 and 1966-67 was £18,739, £21,166 and £21,490 respectively.