Mr Jim Shannon asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the number of people admitted to Accident and Emergency Units with drug related problems in the Eastern Health and Social Services Board area in the years 1998/99 and 1999/2000.

Ms de Brún: The information requested is not available.

Níl an t-eolas a iarradh ar fail.

Mrs Iris Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to outline her policy in relation to (a) the ability of General Practitioner fund holders to commission services and (b) the internal market in the Health Service.

Ms de Brún: (a) Each year, fundholding practices are offered budgets which contain a number of elements – a prescribing budget, a budget for commissioning hospital and community services, a management allowance and a budget for practice staffing. Budget offers will be made to GP fundholders for the year 2001/2002 in the usual way.

(b) The divisive and competitive nature of the internal market diverted attention and badly needed resources away from frontline services. In setting my priorities for the HPSS in the coming year, I have made it clear that I want to see the last vestiges of competitive behaviour removed from the system. I want to see an integrated and cohesive approach to the planning and delivery of services that will result in gain for individuals and local communities.

(a) Gach bliain, tairgtear buiséid do chlinicí ciste-shealbhaíochta ina bhfuil roinnt gnéithe – buiséad d’orduithe, buiséad do choimisiúnú seirbhísí otharlainne agus pobail, liúntas bainisteoireachta agus buiséad d’ fhoireann clinic. Tairgfear buiséid do chiste-shealbhóirí GD don bhliain 2001/2002 sa ghnáthdhóigh.

(b) Thóg an ghné dheighilteach agus iomaíoch den mhargadh inmheánach iúl de, agus d’atreoraigh sí acmhainní fíor-riachtanacha ó sheirbhísí tosaigh. In ag leagadh mo thosaíochtaí amach do na SSSP don bhliain seo chugainn, chuir mé in iúl go soiléir gur mhian liom na rianta deireanacha d’iompar iomaíoch a bhaint den chóras. Ba mhian liom cur chuige imeasctha agus comhtháite do phleanáil agus do chur ar fáil seirbhísí a fheiceáil a dtiocfaidh tairbhe do dhaoine aonair agus do phobail áitiúla as.

Mr Jim Wells asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the steps she is taking to ensure that a helicopter rescue service is maintained for the South Down area.

Ms de Brún: Responsibility for the co-ordination of local inland rescue, including the use of any helicopter rescue service is not a transferred matter.

Ní ceist fhreagracht dúinn í comhordú lucht tarrthála áitiúil intíre, úsáid sheirbhíse tarrthála ingearáin ar bith san áireamh.

Mr Derek Hussey asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to give her assessment of the differential in health expenditure per head of population in each of the Board areas.

Ms de Brún: The actual expenditure per head of population in each Health and Social Services Board area is a function of the age/gender structure and needs profile of the population. Per Capita expenditure comparisons which do not take such factors into account are flawed. The factors are taken into account in the weighted capitation formula, which is kept under regular review and seeks to fund each Board on an equitable basis, taking account of differential need. The per capita allocation per head for 2000-01 for each Board is as follows:

Is feidhm é an fíorchaiteachas a dhéantar ar gach ball den daonra i limistéar gach boird de na Boird Shláinte agus Sheirbhísí Sóisialta den struchtúr aois/inscne agus tá próifíl den daonra de dhíth air. Tá comparáidí caiteachais per capita nach nglacann fachtóirí mar sin san áireamh lochtach. Tugtar na fachtóirí san áireamh san fhoirmle thromaithe cheannsraithe, a ndéantar athbhreithniú uirthi go rialta agus a dhéanann iarracht gach Bord a mhaoiniú ar bhonn cothrom, ag tabhairt difríochtaí i leibhéal an ghanntanais san áireamh. Seo thíos an liúntas de réir oiread seo an duine do 2000-01 do gach Bord:

Mr Alan McFarland asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, pursuant to AQW 1838/00, to detail the number of malicious false alarms calls which were received by each fire station.

Ms de Brún: The information requested for the year 2000 is as follows:

Is mar a leanas atá an t-eolas a iarradh don bhliain 2000:

Mr David Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, pursuant to AQW 1955/00, to detail when the information will become available.

Ms de Brún: Details of expenditure on consultancy services in 2001/02 will be available at the end of that financial year.

Beidh eolas mionchruinn ar an chaiteachas ar sheirbhísí comhairleacha i 2001/02 ar fáil ag deireadh na bliana airgeadais.

Mr David Hilditch asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) any income generated from the siting of telecommunications masts on land or property occupied by her Department (b) the length of contract for the siting of each mast and (c) if she will consider removing the masts.

Ms de Brún: Those HSS Trusts that have telecommunications masts on their property are presented in the table below, with details of the annual income and length of contract for each Trust.

I shall continue to review the safety implications of the siting of mobile communications base stations on hospital property in consideration of the findings of the research programme now in place as recommended in the Stewart report.

Léirítear na hIontaobhais SSS a bhfuil crainn theileachumarsáide ar a n-áitribh sa tábla thíos, le sonraí an ioncaim bhliantúil agus fad an chonartha do gach Iontaobhas.

Leanfaidh mé de bheith ag déanamh athbhreithnithe ar na himpleachtaí sábháilteachta atá ag bunstáisiúin cumarsáide soghluaiste a bheith suite ar áitreabh ospidéil ag cuimhneamh ar thorthaí an chláir thaighde atá ag dul ar aghaidh faoi láthair de réir mholtaí Thuairisc Stewart.

Mr Jim Shannon asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail the steps she is taking to provide additional funding to increase the number of beds and medical staff within the Eastern Health and Social Services Board.

Ms de Brún: Most of the additional £161 million allocated to my Department for 2001/2 will be directed at maintaining and consolidating existing services, but £41m has been earmarked for service developments. Of this, some £11m is targeted at the further development of hospital and related services. The Eastern Health and Social Services Board has been allocated an equitable share of these additional resources and the detailed deployment of these resources will be a matter for the Board to take forward with local Trusts.

Beidh an chuid is mó den £161 milliún sa bhreis a dáileadh ar mo Roinn do 2001/2 dírithe ar sheirbhísí atá ann faoi láthair a choinneáil agus a neartú, ach cuireadh £41m i leataobh faoi choinne forbairtí seirbhíse. Den mhéid seo, tá tuairim is £11m dírithe ar fhorbairt bhreise a dhéanamh ar sheirbhísí ospidéal agus seirbhísí a bhaineann leo. Dáileadh sciar cothrom de na hacmhainní breise seo ar Bhord Sláinte agus Seirbhísí Sóisialta an Oirthir agus fágtar faoin Bhord úsáid mhionchruinn na n-acmhainní seo a thabhairt chun tosaigh le hIontaobhais áitiúla.

Mr Roy Beggs asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to give her assessment of the health and/or public safety concerns regarding the siting of high voltage power-lines.

Ms de Brún: On 6 March the Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR) published a report entitled "ELF* Electromagnetic Fields and the Risk of Cancer". The report took account of a wide range of studies both scientific and epidemiological. In the light of this report and others before it, the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) does not believe that there is a basis for quantitive restrictions in respect of exposure of the public to EMFs from overhead lines or other electricity supply apparatus. At the same time the Board recognises that the question whether exposure to electromagnetic fields can influence the development of cancer cannot be completely resolved.

I am aware of the concern on this issue and I fully support the view that there is a need for continuing research in relation to ELF exposure.

Ar 6 Márta d’fhoilsigh an Grúpa Comhairleach ar an Radaíocht Neamhianach (GCRN) tuairisc dar teideal "ELF* Electromagnetic Fields and the Risk of Cancer". Thug an tuairisc aird ar réimse leathan taighde idir thaighde eolaíoch agus thaighde eipidéimeolaíoch. Ag teacht le torthaí na tuairisce seo agus tuairiscí eile a bhí ann roimhe, ní chreideann Bord Náisiúnta na Cosanta Raideolaíochta (BNCR) go bhfuil aon ghá le teorainní cainníochta maidir le nochtadh an phobail do réimsí leictreamhaighnéadacha ó línte lastuas nó aon trealamh soláthar leictreachais eile. Ag an am céanna, aithníonn an Bord nach féidir réiteach iomlán a dhéanamh ar an cheist an féidir le nochtadh do réimsí leictreamhaighnéadacha tionchar a imirt ar fhorbairt ailse.

Tuigim go bhfuil imní ann faoin cheist seo agus tacaím go hiomlán leis an dearcadh go bhfuil gá le taighde leanúnach maidir le nochtadh RL.

Mrs Iris Robinson asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (a) the number of nursing home and residential home places that have been lost in each of the last five years (b) the number of private residential homes that have closed in each of the last five years and (c) the steps she has taken to address this situation.

Ms de Brún: It is not possible to provide information in respect of the last five years, as information for 1995 is no longer available for all Health and Social Services Board areas. The number of nursing home and residential places that have been lost or gained in each of the last four years, and the number of private residential homes that have closed in each of the last four years for which information is available, are shown in the tables below.

(a) Change in number of places