asked the Minister for Health the total deficit grants paid to St. Catherine's Hospital, Pigeon House Road, Dublin, in each of the past five years; the number of beds in this hospital; and the average bed occupancy in each of these years.

Deficit grants are paid to the Meath Hospital on the basis of the combined costs of that hospital and St. Catherine's Separate costings are not available and to ascertain the amounts of deficit attributable to St. Catherine's would entail an expenditure of time which it is considered would not be justified. There are 20 beds in St. Catherine's and the average number of beds occupied daily in each of the past five years was 18.4, 15.8, 13.2, 12.1 and 8.1.