asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost to the Exchequer in terms of tax foregone for the current year arising from tax relief on the new Voluntary Health Insurance premiums to cover treatment at the new Mater private hospital, Dublin 7 and the Blackrock private clinic, County Dublin.
Written Answers. - Tax Reliefs.
50.
It is not possible to provide the precise information requested by the Deputy as to the cost to the Exchequer in respect of the element in payments for insurance against expenses of illness which is attributable to the increased cost of cover for treatment at the locations mentioned. This is because Revenue statistics are not compiled in such a manner as would enable the amount of additional tax relief attributable to these locations to be separately identified within the cost of medical insurance relief generally. However on the basis of figures supplied by the Department of Health as to the amount of qualifying additional premiums paid by VHI subscribers in moving to the new schemes D and E the additional cost of the tax relief is estimated at £2.5 million for the current income tax year.