asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the wide range of services being provided by the Sisters of Bon Secours, including provision of services in the range of meals on wheels, district nursing, public and private geriatric and public and private hospitals to cover twenty thousand patients per annum, if he accepts that the proposals of the National Planning Board recommending further increases in public hospital charges and the removal of tax relief on VHI premiums would seriously inhibit the Sisters of Bon Secours in the continuation of the provision of those services and in view of that fact if he would recommend that there should be no further increases in public hospital charges and that tax relief on VHI premiums should be continued.
Written Answers. - Sisters of Bon Secours.
495.
I am, of course, fully aware of the invaluable contribution made by the Sisters of Bon Secours to the health services. The Deputy will no doubt, have deduced from the recently published National Plan that there is no immediate intention to give effect to the recommendation of the National Planning Board that the tax relief on Voluntary Health Insurance premiums should be abolished.
It was announced in the National Plan that the Government have decided to increase existing private and semi-private in-patient charges in public hospital services from 1 January 1985. The revised charges have not yet been determined but there will be at least a 15 per cent increase in such charges.