asked the Minister for Health the approximate financial effect on the rating authorities concerned of the omission of certain words in section 36 (1) (b), namely "and had been designated by that authority" from section 36 (1) (a) of the Health Act, 1970.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Act, 1970.
27.
Section 36 (1) (a) relates to property which is "solely for the purposes of services to be transferred" to the new health boards. This will include hospitals, clinics, etc. Such property will automatically go to the boards. Section 36 (1) (b) was included to cover other property partly used for health purposes and partly for other purposes; in this case the local authority has the option of transferring it to the health board or of keeping it.
I could not give an estimate of what the financial implications for rating authorities would have been if the Oireachtas, when considering the Health Bill, had framed section 36 so that those authorities would have had the option of retaining hospitals and similar property. Clearly this estimate would be governed by the extent to which the option was exercised and by the value for purposes outside the health services of the property so retained.