asked the Minister for Health if he will state in respect of VHI (1) the date of establishment of the company and the initial equity capital subscribed; (2) the equity capital, if any, provided by the Exchequer in each of the years 1982, 1983, 1984, and the total amount of equity capital at the end of each of the years 1982, 1983, 1984; (3) the total amount of the loans provided by the Exchequer to the company in each of the years 1982, 1983 and 1984, the total amount of loan interest paid by the company to the Exchequer in each of these years, and the total amount of the loans outstanding to the Exchequer at the end of 1982, 1983 and 1984; (4) the total amount of all loans raised by the company from all sources, excluding the Exchequer, in each of the years 1982, 1983 and 1984, the amount of such loans guaranteed by the Exchequer, and the total amount of interest paid on all non-Exchequer loans in each of these years; (5) the amount of any grant, subsidy or payment for services, specifying the amount and nature of each, made by the Exchequer in each of the years 1982, 1983 and 1984, and (6) the amount of (a) gross profits, and (b) any dividends or other payments made by the company to the Exchequer in each of the years 1982, 1983, 1984.
Written Answers. - Semi-State Body.
The answers to the Deputy's questions are as follows:
1. Under the Voluntary Health Insurance Act, 1957, the Voluntary Health Insurance Board was established in 1957 as a body corporate with perpetual succession and power to sue and be sued in its corporate name and to acquire, hold and dispose of land. Under the terms of the Act, the board is required to set subscriptions as such a level as will be sufficient, but only sufficient, to meet charges to revenue, having made allowance for reserves and depreciation. Upon establishment the board received a loan from the Exchequer of £13,200. This has been repaid in full by 1959.
2. None.
3. None.
4. None.
5. None.
6. The VHI Board's operating surplus for the financial year ended 28 February 1982, was £338,000. The equivalent figures for 1983 and 1984 were £1,820,000 and £167,000 respectively. These amounts were applied to the Board's reserve funds.