Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Feb 1995

Vol. 448 No. 4

Written Answers. - Breakdown of Health Expenditure.

Séamus Hughes

Question:

89 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for Health the percentage of current expenditure on health services in the years 1974, 1984 and 1994 devoted to general hospital services, community health services, psychiatric services and services to the elderly. [2247/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The information requested by the Deputy is as follows:

Expenditure as a Percentage of Current Expenditure on the Health Services

	1974	1984	1994
	%	%	%
General Hospitals	49.00	51.00	50.00
Community Health	N/A	12.70	16.00
Psychiatric Services	15.40	14.30	10.90

A comparable figure is not available for community health services in 1974 as the current method of classification of expenditure was not in operation at that stage. It should be noted that a number of services previously delivered through the psychiatric programme have been transferred to other programmes in recent years. Persons with mental handicap have been transferred to mental handicap centres under the community care or mental handicap services. Many elderly patients have transferred from psychiatric hospitals to more suitable accommodation in homes for the elderly. A number of acute units have been opened in general hospitals to replace admission facilities in psychiatric hospitals. It is not possible to provide definitive figures for expenditure on services for the elderly as they avail of a wide range of services spread through a number of programmes, which are also used by other client groups.