asked the Minister for Health the number of consultancy posts approved by him in the last two years; and the health board areas for which they were approved.

The regulation of the number and type of consultant medical staff is a statutory function of Comhairle na nOspidéal as laid down in section 41 (1) of the 1970 Health Act. In the period 1 May 1984 to 1 June 1986 Comhairle approved a total of 118 posts. The health board areas for which they were approved are as follows:

The figures include voluntary hospitals and homes for the mentally handicapped. Of the 118 posts approved: 58 have been filled, candidates for 14 have been recommended, 45 are in the process of being filled and one post has not yet been advertised. I am sure that Deputy Haughey will be profoundly interested in that outstanding record of achievement.

Would the Minister agree that the posts applied for must get departmental as well as Comhairle na nOspidéal approval? Is the Minister aware that the North Eastern Health Board have recommended the appointment of anaesthetists for a number of hospitals posts that were really essential? Would he agree that the lack of additional anaesthetists is having a serious effect on the overall consultancy services in many of the hospitals?

The number of posts approved in the North Eastern Health Board area was three. These were replacement posts. There were not any additional posts created, as such. The total was three. That is the information I have. On the anaesthetists side I would be glad to answer a separate question. I do not have the information to hand at present.

Would the Minister not agree that the anaesthetists as well as consultancy posts should be encompassed in his answer? Would the Minister agree that one cannot operate a proper service without an adequate number of anaesthetists?

Frankly, I am not aware of which hospital the Deputy is talking about, or the particular posts.

I am talking about a number of hospitals.

The question put to me was: the number of consultancy posts approved by me in the last two years and the health board areas for which they were approved. I have not broken down the figure of 118 in accordance with speciality. I do know that there were 24 replacement posts generally in relation to anaesthetics and there were six additional posts, a total of 30. I do not have the individual hospitals or health board areas. I will be glad to reply to the Deputy——

Would the Minister ensure, as a matter of urgency, a proper service in those hospitals ensuring that those anaesthetists' posts are filled, having received approval from the Minister's Department which has not been forthcoming to date?

I will be glad to receive any representations from the Deputy. I can assure him that, as regards anaesthetics, there is no reluctance whatever on my part to sanction posts. It is a particular area in which, by and large, we would regard ourselves as having a shortage.

Will the Minister approve a recommendation by Comhairle na nOspidéal in relation to the appointment of an obstetrician-gynaecologist at the maternity unit of Roscommon County Hospital? Furthermore, of the posts he has outlined to the House, would he say how many are newly created ones? Would he please outline the details of the six posts approved for the Western Health Board area, saying whether any of them are for Roscommon County Hospital, particularly for the maternity unit there, and if he is appointing a second physician and/or second surgeon to Roscommon County Hospital?

I do not have any proposals before me for the appointment of a second physician in Roscommon County Hospital, nor indeed for a second surgeon there. Regarding the post of obstetrician-gynaecologist in Roscommon I recall quite vividly that the Leader of the Opposition persuaded — I think that is the most gentle word I could use — Comhairle na nOspidéal to give sanction to that post against all professional advice. Since then my Department, the new Comhairle na nOspidéal, and, for that matter, the Western Health Board regard that appointment as being totally unnecessary and undesirable in the light of cover which is available in Sligo, Galway and Portiuncula. It is a classic example of where the Leader of the Opposition led his party when he was Minister for Health.

As far as Roscommon was concerned, we were looking forward to the appointment of an obstetrician-gynaecologist which had been approved by an independent body, Comhairle na nOspidéal——

Which the Minister has politicised. The Minister has totally politicised it.

The Minister has over-ruled Comhairle na nOspidéal because he does not want to see the appointment being made in Roscommon County Hospital. The Minister has over-ruled the best advice available to him from Comhairle na nOspidéal. I am proud that Deputy Haughey approved the appointment when he was Minister for Health. I am proud of that approval and of the fact that he funded it.

If the Deputy wishes me to send him the correspondence between Comhairle na nOspidéal, the then Minister for Health, and the outstanding Chairman of Comhairle na nOspidéal, who tried to persuade the then Minister that he was acting totally out of court in terms of his then proposal, I will willingly send him copies.

I challenge the Minister to send the copies to me.

The Chairman of Comhairle na nOspidéal was so correct in his assessment that he was fired by the then Minister.

That is the way the Minister conducts his ministerial business.

If the Minister will send me copies of the correspondence I will publish them.

I am calling on Deputy Dr. Ormonde.

The Minister spends his time delving into files——

Deputy Haughey, please.

As a matter of fact I do not have to send them at all; if the Deputy will just ring up Dr. Basil Chubb, the then Chairman of Comhairle na nOspidéal, he will tell him all about it.

This wretched Minister for Health, unable to defend his own pernicious health policies, spends his time delving into files to try to find something to throw against former Ministers who did their job.

Deputy Dr. Ormonde is attempting to ask a question. Order, please.

The Minister forgets there are people out there in need.

I challenge the Minister to send me copies of the correspondence.

I will send the Deputy the correspondence.

Like other Members on this side of the House I am intrigued to hear the Minister refer to Comhairle na nOspidéal considering that he has totally usurped their authority, rendering them nothing more than a rubber-stamping body at present. Will the Minister explain to me how the South Eastern Health Board, the third largest in the country, have the lowest number of consultants per 100,000 population. We have 20 per 100,000 whereas the Eastern Health Board have 45 per 100,000, the Southern Health Board have 33 per 100,000, the Western Health Board have 33 per 100,000?

If the Deputy wants to put down a question along those lines I will willingly deal with it.

The Minister is not in a position to deal with it.

I am in a position to deal with it quite competently. The question put to me was: the number of consultancy posts approved by me in the past two years and the health board areas for which they were approved. I have not the information sought by the Deputy.

Did the Minister say that of the total posts approved six only were new, when he complimented himself, being proud of his record in having approved replacement posts. Could the Minister explain why he should be proud of approving replacement posts?

I think the Deputy is not correct. I do not yield to anybody in the work I have done in the Department of Health.

That is why the Taoiseach tried to get rid of the Minister.

If the Deputy would refrain, I will give him the facts. I know they are unpalatable but I will give Deputy Haughey the facts.

The only enlightened thing the Taoiseach ever tried to do was to get rid of the Minister.

The facts are that of the 118 posts 90 were replacement. Twenty-eight of those posts were additional ones, including, as Deputy Haughey knows, a new consultant post which will be added, making it 29, for a paediatrician in the South Eastern Health Board area, in Wexford Hospital, which post will be taken up shortly. That will bring the total to 119. I would hope to have a few more in the immediate future, all done within the budget of the Department with no over-runs, no Supplementary Estimates, as was my predecessor's preoccupation.

The Minister should try to tell that to the health boards.

I am calling Question No. 3.