Will the Minister accept that with over 1,500 deliveries per year in Wexford Hospital it is deplorable that a paediatrician has not been appointed? Will he agree that it is a short-sighted policy not to provide the money having regard to the need for a paediatrician bearing in mind what such a person could do to ensure healthy infants?

There are 400 people employed in Wexford Hospital.

There is no paediatrician.

That figure applies to the beginning of 1984. The proposal now for the paediatric unit, which I have some doubts about, is to appoint an additional 12 staff nurses and three senior house officers at a cost of £250,000 per year. That proposal was put forward by the health board. There will also be some capital cost involved because the female ward will have to be adapted to paediatric use. I have suggested to the health board that they should come forward with a proposal to redeploy resources and, possibly, a lesser requirement than 12 staff nurses for the unit. I am not certain that they require three senior house officers for such a unit. Paediatric services are being provided at the Ardkeen paediatric unit.