asked the Minister for Health the number of dental general anaesthetics carried out in 1978 at the County Hospital, Portlaoise; if there is a waiting list and, if so, the extent of it; if he proposes to provide dental general anaesthetic facilities at the County Hospital, Tullamore; the number of beds in Tullamore and Portlaoise available, or planned, for this service; and whether such patients occasionally have to be treated in the Western Health Board or Eastern Health Board areas.

In 1978, 15 patients received dental treatment under general anaesthetic in the County Hospital, Portlaoise. There is a waiting list of approximately 100 at present.

General anaesthetic facilities will be provided in the dental suite of the new health centre in Tullamore, now nearing completion. In addition improved theatre facilities are planned for Tullamore Hospital and these could be made available for dental patients, if necessary. The general position regarding anaesthetic facilities for dental patients in this area should improve substantially in the near future.

Beds are not specially reserved for dental patients in the Tullamore or Portlaoise hospitals but are made available as required subject to the needs of general hospital patients.

I understand that dental patients requiring treatment under general anaesthetic may be referred to centres in the Eastern Health Board area and in the Western Health Board area.

The Minister mentioned that there are 100 people on the waiting list for this type of treatment. What is the longest time any patient has been on this list?

Some of them could have been waiting for a number of years but it is also possible that some may have received treatment elsewhere, even though they are still on the waiting list. The list is of a few years' standing.

What steps is the Minister taking to cut down this waiting list, particularly in regard to Laois and Offaly?

I have outlined what we are hoping to do generally. It is primarily the responsibility of the health board and they assure me that the situation should improve considerably very shortly.