Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 6 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 2

Written Answers. - Health Boards Funds.

Liz O'Donnell

Question:

96 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health the amount which is being held by health board institutions in respect of patients in long-term care; the guidelines, if any, in respect of the maintenance of the private accounts of these patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20634/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The amount of money being held by health boards on behalf of long-term psychiatric and geriatric patients at 31 December 1995, the most recent year for which completed figures are available, is approximately £14 million.

Moneys so held by the health boards are the property of the patients and are kept in accounts separate to those of the boards' accounts. Such accounts are collectively called patients' private property.

An accounting standard has been laid down by my Department governing the presentation of health boards' annual financial statements. This standard imposes an obligation on each health board to clarify, in its annual financial statement, that patients' private property is not the property of the board and the legal basis on which it is administered by the board must be set out. The annual financial statement must also state whether patients' private property accounts have been independently audited, giving the date of the last audit, and a copy of the auditor's report must be appended.