asked the Minister for Health if he will appoint a paediatrician for joint cover between Cavan and Monaghan general hospitals.

The appointment of a paediatrician for joint cover between Cavan and Monaghan general hospitals would require the approval of Comhairle na nOspidéal which has the statutory function of regulating the numbers and types of medical consultants in hospitals. It would be a matter for the North-Eastern Health Board to apply for approval if they desire to make such an appointment.

Will the Minister agree that there was no paediatrician appointed because of the embargo? With regard to sessions in various hospitals, would it not make economic sense to have a number of paediatricians appointed, irrespective of the embargo in the Public Service?

There are two whole time paediatricians in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, and one of them provides a service of two half days per month to Dundalk hospital. The health board have made arrangements for a consultant paediatrician from Dublin to attend Cavan hospital for three days per month, a total of six sessions, two half days each month in Monaghan and one day each month in Navan. As the Deputy is aware, there is no proposal for specific paediatrician cover in respect of Monaghan hospital although the health board applied to the comhairle for approval of such a post in Monaghan.

The hospital under the control of the health board has the services of a paediatrician at so many sessions per month and it has been generally accepted that that is not a satisfactory system. The committee recommended a considerable time ago that a paediatrician should be appointed.

My plans are that in-patient paediatric services for the Cavan-Monaghan area would be provided at the new Cavan general hospital and that there would be a consultant paediatrician based there who would provide out-patient clinics in Monaghan. However, as the Deputy is aware, that matter is sub judice and I cannot comment any further on it.

Does the Minister accept that a consultant coming three days a month to one county and two half days per month to the other county is not a paediatric service? If Comhairle na nOspidéal recommend a paediatrician to cover both counties, will he allocate the money for that appointment?

The Deputy is well aware that in relation to the new general hospital in Cavan it is my earnest hope, wish and recommendation to the comhairle that there should be a full-time consultant paediatrician based in Cavan. At present there are ten children's beds in Cavan surgical hospital but none designated as such in Monaghan. I hope that the comhairle will give approval on that basis but, unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control I am not in a position to deliver that because the matter is with the High Court.

We are talking about the years to come, we do not know for how long, and it is fair to point out that it is the Minister's bungling which is responsible for the fact that the hospital in Cavan was not started in time. If the health board request the comhairle now to make such an appointment and the comhairle agrees will the Minister allocate the money?

That is a hypothetical question?

It is not. Surely this depends on money available from the Minister——

It is a hypothetical question.