asked the Minister for Health the North-Western Health Board's budget provision for 1986; and if he will make a statement on the effects on the health services in that region if a reduction is proposed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - North-Western Health Board Budget Provision
2.
The non-capital allocation which has been approved for the North-Western Health Board for 1986 for their direct expenditure, including their share of the expenses of the General Medical Services (Payments) Board, is £75.11 million. The board's net budget provision must be aligned with that figure. The detailed arrangements that require to be made to contain 1986 expenditure within the approved allocation level are being considered at health board level.
Is the Minister aware of the tremendous difficulty that the North-Western Health Board are going to experience this year, so much so that it was suggested at a meeting of the North-Western Health Board two days ago that it might be necessary to close down Sligo hospital as one means of living within the allocation, as the Minister has stated clearly here they must during the current year? They estimate that they are £3.6 million short this year, having already lived with a reduced allocation for the last three years since the Minister came to power. Will he accept that the time has now come when he must give sufficient allocation to each of the health boards, including the North-Western Health Board, to ensure that they will be able to provide the proper level of service?
The £3.6 million is an estimate at this stage; it is a projected estimate. We must look at the figure for 1985. Last year the overrun was £400,000 in that health board area and the year before it was £1,070,000. I will be meeting a deputation from the health board next Friday morning and I will be discussing the situation with the health board. I regard the reference to Sligo General Hospital as being only a preliminary skirmish at this stage.
Would the Minister not accept that if you continue reducing the allocation each year and the health boards try to provide a proper level of service, at some time some major institution must close down or there must be some major reduction in the level of service if any health board are to live within the allocation?
That particular health board have not closed down anything and have no plans to close down anything. As the Deputy knows, that board opened up the renal dialysis unit in Letterkenny and they are running quite well in Sligo also, particularly on the orthopaedic side. Therefore, overall where they have an overrun in one year we have been able to stagger it over the succeeding three years on average. The total overrun for last year and the year before was £1.5 million and, of course, that arises where people project substantial overruns which do not take place. I agree with the Deputy that budgets this year are very tight and will require great control on the part of the health boards. I will be meeting that health board next Friday to go down through the measures which they feel are necessary to stay within budget.
In view of the fact that the Minister has said that there was an overrun of £1 million in 1984 for that health board and £0.5 million for 1985, it is not true to say that the £3.3 million is a projected figure. Those two figures of £1 million and £1.5 million will be the first charges on the 1986 budget; that figure must be reflected again in 1986. Therefore, is it not a fact that, irrespective of any projections, they must have at least an overrun of £3 million for 1986?
No. Let me point out to the Deputy that the figure I mentioned was £1 million in 1984 and £0.5 million in 1985.
And those two figures must be reflected again in 1986.
In that case we have spread the overrun over the next three years, which is fair and reasonable. The Deputy must remember that when we talk about £0.5 million it is out of £75 million. Nevertheless, the budget situation in that health board is very tight and we must keep controls on it.