asked the Minister for Health if it is intended to include any further illnesses within the long-term illness category for free medical treatment.

16.

asked the Minister for Health if he will now agree to provide some form of State assistance towards drug costs incurred by asthmatics.

I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle to take Questions Nos. 15 and 16 together.

While I have no proposal at present to extend the list of long-term ailments, I am considering a number of suggestions made to me recently by the Asthma Society of Ireland regarding assistance for persons suffering from asthma.

In reply to a question on 25 October 1978 I drew attention to the other services whereby the cost of drugs is now met in whole or part for most of the population, thus minimising the impact of this cost on a person's private spending. These arrangements will be extended to the entire population from next April.