asked the Minister for Health the percentage of health expenditure devoted to medical rehabilitation, in-patient and out-patient, in each of the last five years.

Medical rehabilitation is provided at special institutions and also at general hospitals.

The revenue cost of the service in the special institutions in each of the last five years was estimated at: 1973, £715,000; 1974, £890,000; 1975, £1,090,000; 1976, £1,320,000; 1977, £1,760,000.

Information regarding the cost of the service in general hospitals is not available in my Department. Accordingly, it is not possible to indicate what percentage of health expenditure is devoted to medical rehabilitation.