asked the Minister for Health the cost, in terms of 1978 prices, of (a) general medical services; (b) free hospital care; and (c) consultant services, free of direct charge, for the whole population.

The cost of providing these services free to the entire population involves a number of factors which cannot easily be quantified. Bearing this reservation in mind the cost of providing the general medical services free to the entire population is estimated to be of the order of £115 million per annum.

The estimated cost of providing hospital services, exclusive of payments to the consultants, free to the entire population would be £240 million per annum.

Sufficient information is not at present available to enable a realistic estimate to be made of the cost of the services of hospital consultants for the entire population.

Is it the intention to extend universally to the population the free hospital care, consultant and general practitioners services?

Having regard to the figures for those levels, such an extension could not be contemplated in the immediate future.

On what basis were the figures computed?

They were computed on the basis of the best information available to the Department.

The figures for the family doctor service are not correct. Is the Minister aware that there would not be a proportionate increase in the GMS cost if it embraced the entire population?

With respect, I doubt that the Deputy is a better statistician than the experts available to me. These are the figures I have been given and I have no alternative but to accept them.

Would the Minister agree that this is not the first time the Department of Health have goofed and made a mistake in their estimations?

The Department of Health are one of the best Departments in the Government service.

The Minister said that once about the Department of Finance, too.

If it was the Minister's opinion that the State could afford the type of extension I have referred to, would he not consider this to be a more desirable way of operating the service?

That is a hypothetical question.