Vol. 369 No. 2
asked the Minister for Health if his Department or any body or agency under the aegis of his Department who receive most or all of their funding from the State have significantly increased their borrowings in 1986; and if he will identify these agencies and indicate the total increase in indebtedness of these agencies between the average level of indebtedness in 1982 and the average level of indebtedness in 1986 to date.
100.
asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of all bodies or agencies directly or indirectly under the aegis of his Department to whom nett expenditure limits have been notified by his Department and who have exceeded or expect to exceed these limits in any or each year from 1982 to 1986 inclusive; and if he will state the amounts, estimated or actual, of these excesses for each year and the total additional increase needed in his Department Vote to enable him to deal with these excesses.
101.
asked the Minister for Health if his Department or any body or agency under the aegis of his Department have sought approval for, or are considering applying for approval for, term loans or other loans to finance excess revenue expenditure.
102.
asked the Minister for Health if the 1986 Vote or Votes to his Department include provision for the funding of excess expenditure over approved expenditure limits by agencies or bodies financed from his Department's Vote or Votes in respect of years prior to 1986; if so, the amount of the excess expenditure for 1982 to 1985 and the estimated projected excess for 1986: and the amount which is included under each subhead to finance this excess expenditure.
I propose to take Questions Nos 99, 100, 101 and 102 together.
Annual expenditure limits have been determined by my Department for health boards, voluntary and joint board hospitals, homes for mentally handicapped persons and certain other health agencies.
From time to time particular excesses in particular agencies have emerged but the final amounts of the excesses are not yet available. The excesses for the years 1982 and 1983 have in any event been minimal. The final excesses will emerge from the audited accounts for the years concerned and such adjustments in approved allocation levels as circumstances may require. As regards the funding of excess expenditure, the present arrangement is to recover the excesses from the approved allocations for subsequent years over an agreed period.
The borrowing needs of the major health agencies which are funded from the Vote for my Department viz. health boards, voluntary and joint board hospitals and homes for the mentally handicapped, arise mainly from the traditional arrangement whereby a percentage of annual approved allocation levels is not due for payment to the health agencies until the year following that to which the allocation relates. It has been customary for the banks to relate maximum approved overdraft levels to the levels of these deferred payments.
No changes in this arrangement will be required in the current year.
My Department's approval of borrowing arrangements is required in relation to health boards and certain other health agencies. None of these agencies has sought approval for term loans or other loans specifically to finance excess revenue expenditure.
The Vote for my Department does not include provision for the funding of excess expenditure over approved expenditure limits of bodies funded from the Vote.
