asked the Minister for Health the number of beds, the number of patients and the number of patient days, distinguishing between maternity and other, in the years 1951, 1957, 1964 and 1966 for (a) voluntary teaching hospitals in Dublin, (b) voluntary teaching hospitals elsewhere, (c) voluntary non-teaching hospitals in Dublin, (d) voluntary non-teaching hospitals elsewhere, (f) regional hospitals, (g) county hospitals and (h) district cottage hospitals.

As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

* Includes the Maternity Beds in Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe and also in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. Separate figures are not avai lable for maternity patients and bed days in respect of these hospitals.

† The bed complement included for St. Kevin's Hospital, Dublin, is 1,782 for 1951, 1,522 for 1957, 1,285 for 1964 and 1,275 for 1966.