Vol. 467 No. 7
91 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Health whether fewer patients are to be admitted to hospitals in the west in the year ahead in order to permit the Western Health Board to operate within its financial allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14210/96]
Limerick East): The management of the Western Health Board's 1996 allocation is a matter for the board in the first instance.
In 1995, I added £3 million to the Western Health Board's revenue budget for acute hospitals. In the current year £1.5 million of this sum was carried forward in the budget base. Within the past few weeks, I confirmed a further extra sum in recognition of the pressures throughout the board's acute hospitals.
In discussions with the board earlier this year a service plan was agreed in which the board confirmed that they would meet the 1995 approved levels of activity within the 1996 budget.
