asked the Minister for Health what steps are being taken to strengthen the present weak financial position of the Hospitals Trust Fund.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospitals Trust Fund.
6.
As in the past, grants from the Vote for my Department are paid to the Hospitals Trust Fund to the extent to which normal income in any year falls short of the amount required to meet the needs of the public hospital services appropriate to be met from the fund. There is, however, no question of a weak financial position of the fund. As the Deputy will see from the Estimate for Health for the current financial year, a grant-in-aid to the fund of £3¾ million is being provided this year.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Irish Hospitals Sweepstake Committee have made arrangements for the holding of an extra sweepstake, on a race to be run in December each year, the first of which will be run on 27th December, 1969.
Apart from the extra race to which the Minister has referred and the grant-in-aid from the Exchequer, have the Hospital Sweepstakes in mind any other promotions for the purpose of increasing their income and, if so, what are they?
No, the only promotion that has come to me officially is this one. The Deputy should address the question to the Minister in charge of the Sweepstakes legally if he wants to get a reply to that.
Will the Minister state the present financial position of the Hospitals Fund?
I think the Deputy should ask a specific question about that for reply next week.
Is the Minister not in a position to state this at the moment?
The income, including grants-in-aid, for 1968-69 was £3,895,605 of which £2,080,000 was by way of grants-in-aid.
What other funds have the Hospitals Trust besides the present income for this year?
I have given the Deputy the income for the year 1968-69.
Yes, but can the Minister state—he mentioned the income for this year——
The capital fund has been practically exhausted. Questions have been answered about that in the Dáil. It was decided not to maintain a capital fund and to make use of the whole capital fund for health purposes. If the Deputy looks back to previous questions he will see that complete particulars were given.
Would the Minister be in a position to state——
I am calling Question No. 7. There are 152 questions to deal with. Will the Deputy please allow us to continue?
If the Deputy examines previous questions he will find full particulars there.
I have already allowed the Deputy three supplementary questions.