asked the Minister for Health the present level of public investment in medical education and if it is justified when the average annual number of doctors graduating from Irish medical schools is 340 whereas the annual number of posts for registered medical practitioners available is only 120; and if the re-allocation of some of these resources to preventive public health measures has been considered.

As Minister for Health, my responsibility for public investment in medical education relates to postgraduate education and training of doctors engaged in the provision of the health services. Most of the cost involved is in respect of the salaries of approximately 1,500 doctors who at any one time are employed in training posts in hospitals. As part of their postgraduate training these doctors, under the supervision of the consultant medical staff, also provide a substantial element of the service needs of the hospitals concerned.

In addition to the salary costs mentioned, expenditure on specific training and refresher courses for doctors, along with the operational cost of the Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education, is about £200,000 per year.

My policy is to provide for a gradual increase in the number of doctors employed in the health services and to channel, so far as it is feasible and in the interest of the services to do so, such resources as can be made available into the development of preventive public health measures.

The Minister has not mentioned the fact that a number of these doctors are from abroad and will be returning home. This would be our contribution to Third World development.

All the better. The Deputy and I agree on that.