I move:
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £318,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1965, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Health (including Oifig an ArdChláraitheora), and certain Services administered by that Office, including Grants to Local Authorities, miscellaneous Grants and a Grant-in-Aid.
Deputies will recall that when I introduced the Estimate for this Vote in June of last year I also introduced a Supplementary Estimate, the need for which arose from the grant of increases in remuneration to members of health authority staffs. These were "ninth round" increases, and the additional provision was required to enable Health Services Grant to be paid from the Health Vote towards the expenditure by health authorities additional to that on which the grant provision in the original Estimate had been based.
The reasons for the second Supplementary Estimate which I am now placing before the House will be apparent from the information set out in the Estimate. The additional provision, which falls under two subheads of the Vote, amounts to £818,000, against which I have found it possible to set a saving of £500,000 under another subhead, leaving the net requirement at £318,000.
Under Subhead A of the Vote, which relates to remuneration of staff of the Department, an additional sum of £68,000 is required to cover expenditure which has to be met as a result of general ninth round increases and, also, adjustments of remuneration of grades arising out of claims made through the Civil Service Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme.
Under Subhead G—Grants to Health Authorities, it is necessary to seek a further £750,000. This is the amount by which, it is estimated, the grants payable in the current financial year will be increased by reason of increases in remuneration of certain staffs of health authorities, mainly medical and nursing. These increases are the result of decisions taken at arbitration under the Scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration applicable to local staffs. It is estimated that the gross additional expenditure of health authorities in this respect within the current financial year will be £1,580,000, and one-half of that amount will be recoupable as Health Services Grant. The total estimated amount to be recouped is £790,000. Under the arrangements for payment of the grant, ninety-five per cent is payable within the financial year in advance of the submission of final accounts, and accordingly the amount to be met within this year is £750,000.
It will be seen from the Estimate that I am budgeting for a saving of £500,000 under Subhead K—Hospitals Trust Fund—Grant-in-Aid. As I explained when introducing the original Estimate the purpose of this Grant-in-Aid is to enable me to continue with the hospital building programme. Due to the interruption of building work in the Dublin area, as a result of the building strike last autumn, progress on projects then in operation was much less than had been expected and other work could not be started as early as had been hoped. Mainly for this reason I find it possible to limit my demands on the Grant-in-Aid this year and I am accordingly in a position to set a saving of £500,000 against the gross additional provision which I am seeking under subheads of the Vote.
