180 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health the number of patients attending hospital with blood disorders especially the number of patients with leukaemia to date in 1992 and comparative figures for 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986 and 1991.

Information on acute hospital activity, broken down by diagnosis, is available only through the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE). This is a national statistical survey which covers a significant proportion of all acute hospital discharges but does not have full coverage. The collection and analysis of HIPE data for 1991 and 1992 is not yet complete.

The table which follows gives the information sought for 1971, 1976, 1981 and 1986, and the figures collected to date in relation to 1991 and 1992. The last line of the table shows, for each year, the percentage of total acute public hospital discharges which have been collected in the HIPE survey.