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Estimates Process

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 October 2018

Tuesday, 16 October 2018

Questions (423, 441, 443, 459)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

423. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason for the large increase in funding under section H of the health Estimates for 2019 from €96 million in 2018 to €491 million in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42056/18]

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Róisín Shortall

Question:

441. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to the budget 2019 announcement that €20 million extra would be provided for the National Treatment Purchase Fund in 2019, the reason only €10 million extra is provided in the health Estimates published; and the way in which it is proposed to make up the shortfall. [42163/18]

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Róisín Shortall

Question:

443. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason for the 58% rise in funding in 2019 for developmental, consultative, supervisory, regulatory and advisory bodies. [42166/18]

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Róisín Shortall

Question:

459. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the current estimate of the outturn in health spending in 2018. [42264/18]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 423, 441, 443 and 459 together.

Up to 2018 the H subhead reflected funding for statutory pension lump payments only. All other pension funding was held in the Health Service Executive subheads I1 to I5. To improve transparency and the linkage between the Health Vote subheads and the Health Service Executives National Service Plan in 2019 subhead H was amended to reflect all HSE pension funding including lump sums. From 2019 this subhead will now reflect the full pension costs as set out in the National Service Plan for 2019.

A data entry error occurred which resulted in €10m of NTPF funding being included in error in the subhead E1, instead of E3. The NTPF allocation for 2019 is €75m. The full allocation to the NTPF is now reflected in the published Expenditure Report 2019 available on www.budget.gov.ie and will be reflected in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2019 published before year end.

The provision for E.1 in 2019 is €99.131m an increase of €30.013m (43%) over 2018. This increase is primarily the additional funding for the Sláintecare Integration Fund as announced in the budget. The remainder will be used for essential health care projects as required during 2019.

The Department of Health is engaging closely with the HSE, but it is too early yet to be definitive in terms of the final outturn for the health services at year end 2018.

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