andMr. Boland asked the Minister for Health if free toothbrushes have been made available in all schools in sufficient quantities to all children to date; if not, why, and the total cost of the free toothbrush scheme.

I assume this question refers to the distribution of toothbrushes to pupils of national schools as part of an exercise which commenced in Dental Health Week 1979 and was organised by the Health Education Bureau and the Dental Health Foundation.

Sufficient toothbrushes—approximately 600,000—were made available under the scheme and all but approximately 10,000, a very small proportion of the total, have been distributed to pupils. Eight thousand of this 10,000 is accounted for in Carlow where brushes are being distributed as part of a systematic programme of talks to school children. Factors involved in other areas include difficulties associated with arranging distribution to outlying schools and requests from schools for additional supplies.

The cost of purchase and delivery to county centres amounted to £65,000 approximately. Separate cost figures are not available for local distribution which generally was undertaken as part of the day-to-day activities of health board staffs.

Is the Minister satisfied that the scheme will achieve an improvement in dental hygiene commensurate with its considerable cost?

I am satisfied with it. The scheme introduced by my predecessor was a very novel and worth-while one. It has——

It achieved its objective as far as he was concerned anyway.

——brought about a great awareness among children, and even my child regarded that toothbrush as far more important than any other in the house.

Question No. 75.

If the Minister's child did not regard it as important, whose child would?