asked the Minister for Health the per capita expenditure on health in (a) Scotland and (b) Northern Ireland.
11.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Services.
10.
asked the Minister for Health if the provision of an extra £12 or £13 million to bring the per capita expenditure on health on a level with that in Great Britain would provide a comprehensive health service in this country comparable with that obtaining in Great Britain.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to answer Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together.
The information required by the Deputy seems to be related to the estimation of the additional financial resources which public authorities in the State would need to put into the health services to equate them with those in the United Kingdom. The figures given in my reply of 24th November are not satisfactory for this purpose as they show only the part of that expenditure which is met by central taxation and, in our case, by rates and health contributions as well. To the extent that I failed to interpret correctly what was aimed at in this question, I express my regret to the Deputy.
Fully comparable figures of gross or net health expenditure as between two countries are difficult to compile because of differing interpretations of what items should be included. However, using the information available to me on the estimated costs for the current financial year, I have had figures prepared of the per capita gross expenditure and the per capita impact on the different sources of income in the State and the constituent parts of the United Kingdom. As there are a number of figures involved, the information is given in a table which, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
The table shows considerable variations in per capita expenditure as between the different parts of the United Kingdom. It is difficult on the basis of it to make assumptions about the likely cost of a similar service here. The position would be influenced by differences in socio-economic factors, such as age distribution and degree of industrialisation, the different financial basis from which we would be starting and, possibly, differences of emphasis on the components of a comprehensive national health service in order to suit our particular circumstances. In general, it is considered that the quality of our health service is not inferior to that obtaining in Britain and Northern Ireland and what would be mainly involved is an extension of eligibility to the whole population. In reply to a question on 2nd November, I gave an estimate of £30 million a year as the additional cost of extending all our services to the entire population. This was arrived at by roughly costing the extensions in eligibility which would be required and I think this a more satisfactory method of estimating the additional cost.
The following is the table referred to above:—
ESTIMATED per capita health expenditure 1971-72.
|
Area |
Gross expenditure per capita |
Met by |
||
|
Central and Local Taxation |
Contributions |
Other income |
||
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
Ireland |
26.8 |
24.7 |
0.7 |
1.4 |
|
England |
37.8 |
32.9 |
4.3 |
0.6 |
|
Wales |
41.7 |
37.0 |
4.0 |
0.7 |
|
Scotland |
41.1 |
36.4 |
4.0 |
0.7 |
|
Northern Ireland |
44.9 |
40.5 |
3.5 |
0.9 |
The Minister stated that the per capita difference between Britain and ourselves is only about £4.5 or £4.10 and it is, therefore, not unnatural to assume a bridging figure of £12 or £13 million would enable us to give a comparable service. I am unable to analyse the long reply the Minister gave but surely then an extra £12 or £13 million would enable us to give the 100 per cent coverage that obtains in Britain and Northern Ireland and not just 10 per cent.
I would ask the Deputy to read my reply in detail. It would take too long for me to go further into this now.