(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health the social welfare pensioners from whom deductions are made in public institutions; whether there is a standard practice between one health authority and another; if not, if he will state in respect of each health authority where such deductions are being made for (a) county homes, (b) county hospitals and (c) district hospitals the amounts being deducted in each case; and if he will now consider abolishing these charges or deductions at least in regard to old age pensioners.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Pension Deductions in Institutions.
99.
Persons in receipt of non-contributory social welfare pensions are, in general, members of the lower income group and as such are entitled to hospital services free of charge. The circumstances of some persons in receipt of contributory pensions may be such that they would be regarded as being in the middle income group and liable for a hospital charge which would not normally exceed 10/- a day.
Deductions from Social Welfare pensions may, however, be made in the case of those pensioners who are in receipt of institutional assistance, that is, shelter and maintenance, and these deductions, are made in accordance with the Institutional Assistance Regulations, 1965. These regulations provide that where a person while receiving institutional assistance is in receipt of an income in money exceeding £1 per week, he may be required, out of so much of the income as exceeds £1 per week, to contribute such amount as the health authority consider appropriate towards the cost incurred by the health authority in providing him with institutional assistance.
The decision as to whether a charge is made in any individual case is a matter for the health authority concerned. I am asking each health authority to furnish information as to the basis on which deductions from income are made in respect of pensioners maintained in their institutions.
In determining income for purposes of the Institutional Assistance Regulations, the health authority is required to deduct amounts payable for items such as rent, rates, insurance, etc. In view of the wide safeguards against hardship provided for in the regulations, I consider that there are no grounds for abolishing the charges altogether.
Is the Minister aware it is common practice by local authorities to strike a flat charge on all their patients in the institutions known as county homes and that this results in a very big saving on health charges?
As I have said in my reply, I am making inquiries from each local authority to find out what their criteria are.
I do not agree it should go on at all. The Minister appreciates that, if it stopped without some method of substitution, there would be a very heavy increase in local authority health charges?
What I was talking about was that I do not like to hear of a flat rate in respect of the means of the persons concerned. This is intended to have individual application. As I have told the Deputy, I will make inquiries.