asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the dissatisfaction of the medical profession with the terms of his proposal on the payment of doctors under the new health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

82.

asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the progress he has made in his negotiations to determine the method of payment for doctors.

With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take questions 81 and 82 together.

I shall shortly be discussing with representatives of the medical profession my proposals for the payment of doctors participating in the new general medical service scheme. I shall make a brief reference to the matter when replying to the debate on the Supplementary Estimate.

While I appreciate that the Minister will reply on the Supplementary Estimate, he should make a statement on what he now knows to be the general dissatisfaction and state what he is going to do about it. He is not going to reply about that and we certainly will not get an opportunity to reply to him.

I do not accept what the Deputy says.