asked the Minister for Health the amount he has sanctioned for the budget of the Mid-Western Health Board for 1973-74.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mid-Western Health Board Budget.
19.
The level of net expenditure approved in the case of the Mid-Western Health Board for the present year is £9.516 million. As already stated generally in reply to other recent questions, certain additions to this allocation will be made later, for example, to cover the cost of payment of allowances to psychiatric nurses and general trained nurses when the cost of these has finally been settled and also for increases in welfare and community services as notified in the budget.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of the grave concern expressed by the members of the Mid-Western Health Board at this very significant cut and can he give any indication if, in fact, the addition he has now mentioned will in any way measure up to the cut which has been effected on the submission from the health board?
I would point out to the Deputy that the estimated total expenditure for 1972-73 was £8.483 million and a sum of £9.516 million has been approved for 1972-73, an increase of £1.033 million.
That is not what I asked the Parliamentary Secretary. He may have misheard me. I asked the Parliamentary Secretary not with reference to last year's amount allocated but with reference to the budget application for this year from the Mid-Western Health Board. The amount sanctioned represents a decrease of £800,000. I asked the Parliamentary Secretary if the addition to which he has just referred will in any way measure up to that figure of £800,000?
That is not what the Deputy asked in the question but, if he cares to put down a specific question next week, I will get the information for him.
The Parliamentary Secretary will be aware that the application from the Mid-Western Health Board was for £10.5 million. I presume that would be furnished to him in his information. The amount sanctioned was a little over £9.5 million. I am now asking the Parliamentary Secretary if the addition to which he has referred will in any way measure up to that difference of over £800,000? The Parliamentary Secretary talks in terms of an addition here without any indication as to what will be involved.
I do not know where the Deputy got the figure of £800,000. My information is that the reduction was somewhat less than £.5 million, £489,000 to be exact.
The Mid-Western Health Board expressed the view that, in view of the cut, to talk in terms of community care was wholly laughable at this stage. I may add that my information came directly from the members of the Mid-Western Health Board.
I am afraid the Deputy may not embark on a statement at this stage.
This arises out of their reaction and it was because of their reaction and the information given to me that I put down the question.
It is considerably more than an increase of £1 million over last year.