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.