asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the administration of the health services by the health boards in comparison with their administration by the county councils.

It is difficult to make such a comparison. The county councils (and the special joint health authorities) operated health services which were essentially within the local government system and financed in considerable part from the rates. The reasons for introducing a new system were partly based on recognition that there would have to be increasing financial participation by the State and that the county was too small a unit, mainly for hospital services. These reasons are elaborated on in the White Paper on the Health Services of 1966, which formed the basis of the proposals adopted by the Health Act, 1970, for the establishment of these boards.

Since the boards were established, there have been considerable developments in the health services and, of course, a considerable rise in expenditure. The developments were based on Government policies and the rise in expenditure was mainly due to these developments and to increases in pay and prices. I have no reason to believe that the county councils could have arranged the developments more efficiently or at less cost or met the increases in pay and prices with lesser funds.

I would draw the attention of the Deputy to my statement in the House on 30th June, 1976, Official Report, Volume 291, columns 2053-2055, when I discussed the issue of possible alternatives to the health boards and expressed my view that a return to the administration of the health services by the local authorities would not be desirable now.

19.