asked the Minister for Health if he will approve the appointment of a consultant anaesthetist and consultant paediatrician to Castlebar General Hospital, County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

These two posts are among a number of consultant posts approved by Comhairle na nOspidéal, the filling of which have to be considered in the light of the funds available. To date it has not been possible to provide funds for these posts.

Having regard to the circumstances in which there is only one consultant paediatrician in Castlebar General Hospital, that he is on call 24 hours a day and that the percentage bed occupancy at the hospital in 1981 was 136.59, would the Minister not agree that immediate ministerial sanction for another paediatrician should be given and that the same applies to the question of an anaesthetist?

The Deputy will be aware that before I came to office an embargo was placed on all such appointments but that matter will be considered within the context of any review of the embargo.

I would remind the Minister that prior to the election the present Taoiseach accompanied by a battalion of very prominent party members, visited the hospital and committed himself to announcing, through whoever was to be the new Minister for Health, that these appointments would be made. We now have that new Minister here.

The matter is now being reviewed but it involves more than one consultancy. There are a number of important and very urgent consultant posts which were affected by the embargo. That matter has to be reviewed on a national basis. It is being reviewed at the moment on that basis but I would agree that the consultant post to which he referred is one that should be considered a priority.

When may we expect a decision in this matter? The paediatrician who is there may not stay for very much longer.

There will be a decision as soon as the review has been completed.

When might that be?

As soon as possible.

The Minister has referred to an embargo which he alleges he inherited and says that this is causing the difficulty in this matter. In these circumstances is he proposing to have that embargo lifted?

The Deputy knows that that is a general matter affecting all the Departments of Government.

I am talking about the Minister's Department.

But the Deputy will be aware that it applies to all Departments and must be considered in that context. That is being done.

What does that mean? Is the embargo to be lifted or not?

6.