asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the difficulties hospitals other than local authority hospitals have in maintaining themselves economically, owing to the fact that the grants being made available to them are only half of those made available to local authority hospitals, with particular reference to such hospitals outside the bigger centres; and if he has plans to make such hospitals viable.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Grants.
33.
The running costs of local authority hospitals are, for the purposes of grants payable from the Health Vote, treated as part of health expenditure generally, and the average rate of recoupment is accordingly 55 per cent, in the current financial year.
Public voluntary hospitals are paid by health authorities in respect of services provided for Health Act patients on the basis of a daily capitation rate. Virtually every public voluntary hospital is now in receipt of grants from the Hospitals Trust Fund which make good the revenue deficits after account is taken of receipts from health authorities and other normal income.
In these circumstances I do not accept the implication that local authority hospitals are receiving more favourable treatment than are other public hospitals as regards grants from the funds under my control.
Am I to understand from the Minister's reply that there is parity of grants as between the two types of hospital?
Yes.
That is not the information I have.
I would be glad if the Deputy would give me the information he has.
Is it not a fact that a hospital has recently closed down on account of the fact that the subsidy or grant it is receiving from the State is not sufficient to maintain it as a viable unit? Not only one, but several have closed down.
Is that the one in Carlow?
Yes.
I do not accept that at all.
Is it not closing down?
It is.
Why is it closing down?
I am not going to discuss it now. The Deputy should know as well as I do.
The answer is the reason given in my question. That is why it is closing down.
It is not.