I accept that it is not entirely within the Minister's purveyance but it is the unit to which prisoners are brought whenever they need hospital treatment. I can do not more than ask the Minister to permit his Department to give some attention to this matter. Is it intended to improve on the psychological and psychiatric services available to prisoners? The Minister indicated that two additional medical officers had been appointed but I am particularly concerned about the assignment of additional psychological and psychiatric support services. Would the Minister indicate when an overall medical director will be appointed to the prisons, as recommended urgently by the Whitaker commission?

The Deputy is raising a separate matter.

I accept that, but it is particularly relevant to those who need the service.

On the question relating to the unit in St. James's Hospital, I share the Deputy's concern that it would be preferable if the offenders with HIV positive could be treated within a secure unit in Mountjoy. I will deal with this shortly in a further statement.

With regard to the appointment of a director of medical services, it has been explained to the House on a number of occasions that the Civil Service Commission advertised this post on two occasions but were unable to select a suitable candidate from among the applicants. The chief medical officer for the Civil Service has been undertaking this role and is paying particular attention to it and has been consulted regularly on it. It should be borne in mind that it was never the intention that a director of medical services would have clinical responsibility for dealing with the cases of individual offenders. I am more than satisfied with the level of medical care being provided in individual cases. I will examine the situation with regard to the specialised cases which the Deputy has referred to and see what can be done.