Written Answers Nos. 118-122
118. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the amount of money that was spent on outpatient counselling and psychotherapy services by the Health Service Executive in each of the past five years. [36703/15]
View answerAs this is a service issue this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
119. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the annual spend on respite services in each of the past five years. [36717/15]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.
120. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of making screening available to all first blood relatives of known coeliacs. [36719/15]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
121. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine and expedite a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36721/15]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. If he has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
122. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the current position with regard to moneys which were included in the vote for health and the Health Service Executive prior to 2015 but ceased to be so included after 1 January 2015; the value of such moneys in 2014; their estimated value in 2015; how they are now accounted for within the HSE; the person who is the Accounting Officer; the reason for their removal from the health vote, in view of the legislation which returned responsibility for the executive's finances to his Department; if the use of these moneys is subject to the overview of the Comptroller and Auditor General; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36725/15]
View answer132. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the amount of income, previously accounted for as appropriations-in-aid under the health vote prior to 2015, provided in each year from 2011 to 2014 in tabular form; and the amounts that came from hospital maintenance receipts, superannuation, the pension levy, car parking fees, canteens, shops and the primary care reimbursement service. [36806/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 132 together.
The Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Act 2014 provided for the disestablishment of the Health Service Executive's Vote with effect from 31 December 2014, and the funding of the Executive through the Vote of the Office of the Minister for Health. The Act also set out the new statutory financial governance arrangements for the Health Service Executive.
In 2014, prior to disestablishment, the HSE Vote reported expenditure on a gross basis; that is, expenditure funded by both exchequer monies and other income (patient income etc). Following disestablishment, the HSE Vote no longer exists. Exchequer grants to the HSE are now shown as part of the Department of Health Vote. This is in line with conventions applying to the many statutory bodies that do not have their own Vote.
The disestablishment of the HSE's Vote resulted in €1.043 billion of receipts - previously reported as Appropriations-in-Aid (A-in-A) in the HSE Vote - being offset against the Gross Vote requirement for the Executive for 2015. The impact, when we compare 2014 (Vote 38 & 39 combined) to 2015 (Vote 39 incorporating HSE grant), is that both gross expenditure and A-in-A are reduced by €1.043 billion. However, the net exchequer position remains comparable.
The HSE is required to produce Annual Financial Statements and these receipts will be recorded in the published accounts of the Executive. These statements are subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Under the new arrangements, the Secretary General of the Department of Health is the Accounting Officer for the Health Vote (Vote 38) which includes grants to the Health Service Executive. Under the new framework the Minister for Health sets a net expenditure budget for the Executive, which is funded by means of grants made from the Health Vote. The level of expenditure 'approved' is net of any other income.
Under the Act the Director-General of the Health Service Executive is an accountable person, with responsibilities to ensure that the Executive operates within its financial limits, reports to the Department if the Executive is likely to breech those limits and is accountable to the C&AG and PAC for the financial management of the Executive.
The following table sets out the actual receipts recorded as Appropriations-in-Aid to Vote 39 prior to the disestablishment of the Vote on 1 January 2015, as reported in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) for the years 2011 to 2014.
|
- |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
Description |
€'000 |
€'000 |
€'000 |
€'000 |
|
Statutory Charges in Public Hospitals, Long Stay Charges and Charges for Maintenance in Private and Semi-Private Accommodation in Public Hospitals |
376,000 |
455,016 |
401,546 |
385,946 |
|
Superannuation |
199,986 |
199,986 |
181,086 |
172,586 |
|
Miscellaneous Receipts |
151,800 |
127,759 |
115,759 |
116,159 |
|
PCRS Rebate receipts |
25,000 |
27,000 |
35,000 |
|
|
Receipts from Pension-related Deduction on Public Service Remuneration |
337,156 |
337,156 |
343,156 |
333,017 |
|
Total |
1,064,942 |
1,144,917 |
1,068,547 |
1,042,708 |
