asked the Minister for Health whether he is aware that considerable sums of money are due by his Department to county councils under the grants for health services in respect of the past three financial years; and, if so, whether he will state what steps are being taken to have the sums due paid to the county councils.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Grants for Health Services.
Mr. Browne
No grants are due to county councils by my Department in respect of the year ended 31st March, 1948.
For the year 1948-49 and subsequent years the grant payable in respect of health services is regulated by the Health Services (Financial Provisions) Act, 1947. The arrangements for the payment of the consolidated grant under that Act are that each health authority receives one-half of its total estimated grant by the end of the first quarter of the financial year, and a further 45 per cent. by the end of the first nine months of the year. The remaining 5 per cent. is retained until the final accounts have been audited, subject to the payment before the end of the ensuing financial year of the amount necessary to bring the total payments up to 99.5 per cent. of the total grant as shown by the returns of actual expenditure as furnished by the local authorities. The grant is, therefore, to a substantial extent paid in advance of local expenditure and considerable sums would not at any time be due to any health authority provided accurate and timely statements of expenditure are furnished to the Department for the purposes of calculating the grant.
The aggregate amounts of grant still to be paid to county councils are £9,400, in respect of the year 1948-49 and £187,000 in respect of the year 1949-50. Of the latter amount approximately £170,000 will become due and will be paid during the coming month.
Is the Minister aware that owing to the fact that the final payment cannot be made on the claim of a county council until a full audit takes place each year the council will be three years in arrears in respect of receiving the final payment; that they must always continue to be three years in arrears? Is he further aware that, owing to the non-payment of the amounts claimed by county councils, considerable sums become due to be paid by the local rates in respect of overdrafts?
The position is that 50 per cent. of the grant is paid by June and 45 per cent. after a nine-months' period; that is, that 95 per cent. of the total grant is paid. Of the remaining 5 per cent., approximately 4.5 per cent. is paid before the audit, which leaves only one-half of 1 per cent. for the local authority to find. We retain that so that any variation up or down may be adjusted. I think it is the most equitable arrangement that could be arrived at in the circumstances, particularly as we are not yet in a position to be quite certain as to the sum to be paid out in respect of the standard year 1947-48. The position will right itself as the years go on when there are more accurate returns.