Vol. 419 No. 6
110 Mr. Lowry asked the Minister for Health the cost to date of all of the continuing investigations and court cases into the neurosurgery unit in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 and the proportion of this which will ultimately fall on the taxpayer, including that element paid by State reimbursement of medical defence premia or through tax relief.
149 Mr. McGahon asked the Minister for Health the cost to date of all of the continuing investigations and court cases into the neurosurgery unit in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 and the proportion of this which will ultimately fall on the taxpayer, including that element paid by State reimbursement of medical defence premia or through tax relief.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 149 together.
The costs to date and the estimated final costs of the inquiry being held by the Medical Council's Fitness to Practise Committee are a matter for the Medical Council itself as these will not be paid from public funds.
The total legal costs incurred to date by Beaumont Hospital in relation to inquiries and litigation concerning its Neurosurgical Department amount to £446,000. It is not possible for the hospital to estimate the final figure at this stage.
I understand that the costs to date of the Committee of Inquiry which I recently appointed have yet to be determined. It is not possible to estimate what the final costs will be in this regard. Such costs as fall due will be borne by my Department.
The premia set by the medical defence organisations reflect the overall costs which they expect to bear in any particular year. It is not possible to identify the proportion of the premium which is attributable to any particular aspect of the defence bodies' activities. Therefore, no estimate can be made of the increased costs to be met by the State either by way of reimbursement of Medical Defence premia or tax relief.
