Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Apr 1996

Vol. 464 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Insurance Fund.

Dermot Ahern

Question:

106 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the proportion of costs of social insurance benefits met by insurance contributions in each of the past ten years; the amount of the Exchequer subsidy paid to the fund to make good the shortfall; the likely figures for 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8362/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

The details sought by the Deputy are set out in the table following. The figures for expenditure in 1995 and 1996 include equality arrears payments of £193 million and £55 million respectively. If these once-off payments are excluded the Exchequer liability is 1 per cent for 1995 and 6 per cent for 1996.

Year	Total Expenditure	P.R.S.I. Income (a)	Exchequer Liability	Other Income (b)
	£m	£m	(%)	£m	(%)	£m	(%)
1986	1,308	905	(70)	401	(30)	2	(-)
1987	1,348	941	(70)	405	(30)	2	(-)
1988	1,334	1,024	(77)	308	(23)	2	(-)
1989	1,325	1,104	(83)	219	(17)	2	(-)
1990(c)	1,402	1,318	(94)	81	(6)	3	(-)
1991	1,533	1,385	(90)	146	(10)	2	(-)
1992	1,656	1,485	(90)	154	(9)	17	(1)
1993	1,715	1,608	(94)	106	(6)	1	(-)
1994	1,726	1,685	(98)	41	(2)	-	(-)
1995	1,960	1,745	(89)	215	(11)	-	(-)
(provisional)
1996	1,880	1,720	(92)	160	(8)	-	(-)
(estimate)

(a) PRSI income excludes the health contribution and the employment and training level elements which are paid over to the Departments of Health and Enterprise and Employment respectively.

(b) Other incomes comprises income from investments, receipts from other countries under reciprocal arrangements and rent. The 1992 figure includes a once-off sum of £16 million, resulting from the realisation of investments.

(c) The occupational injuries fund and the redundancy & employers insolvency fund were amalgamated with the social insurance fund on 1 May 1990. Receipts and payments of these two funds are included in the social insurance fund figures from that date.