asked the Minister for Health if he will state whether the expenses incurred by the other county health areas in the Republic of Ireland are on a par with the expenses incurred by Cork in operating the health services under the Health Act, 1947, with special reference to the tuberculosis scheme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Act Expenses.
asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the 100 per cent. recoupment on health services based by his Department on expenditure for the year 1947-48 in operating the tuberculosis scheme in Cork County has practically reached the point of exhaustion; and, if so, if he is prepared to examine the Cork County Council's expenditure on health services, and state if the operation of the mobile X-ray in Cork since 1949 was the chief cause for the huge expense incurred by Cork County Council.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together.
Under the provisions of the Health Services (Financial Provisions) Act, 1947, the excess of the expenditure of each health authority on recognised health services over the standard expenditure, which is the corresponding expenditure out of local funds in respect of the year 1947-48, is recouped out of the Vote for Health up to the point where such excess is equal to the standard expenditure; beyond that point recoupment is at the rate of 50 per cent.
An examination of the expenditure on health services in the current financial year shows that the expenditure of the Cork County Council on all health services as at present calculated, is, in common with the expenditure of the majority of health authorities, in excess of the equivalent of twice the standard expenditure. The percentage increase of the current expenditure over the standard expenditure is, however, lower than the percentage increase shown in the aggregate expenditure of all other health authorities.
The total grant payable from the Vote for Health to the Cork County Council in respect of the current year is calculated at £386,000. When this sum is apportioned to meet the cost of the various services in respect of the current year the amount appropriate to tuberculosis services is £108,000 and as the total expenditure on these services is £132,000 there is a balance of £24,000 to be met from local funds, as compared with £15,000 in the year 1947-48. The added impost on local funds in respect of the tuberculosis services is, therefore, approximately £9,000.
It is not possible to measure the extent to which the operation of the mobile X-ray unit in County Cork has resulted in more effective case-finding and consequently greater expenditure on treatment, than would have obtained in its absence. The direct cost of operating the mobile X-ray service in the county is approximately £4,000 a year.