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Departmental Budgets

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 November 2020

Tuesday, 17 November 2020

Questions (826)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

826. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the way in which his Department’s annual amount for contingent liability is set; the factors considered when setting contingent liability; if forecasting is undertaken regarding setting future amounts; the contingent liability figure for his Department for 2020; and if the contingency provision has been utilised to date in 2020. [36906/20]

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Written answers

The State Claims Agency (SCA) has a statutory remit to manage personal injury claims on behalf of delegated state authorities, including the HSE. In this regard, the SCA arranges for an annual actuarial report to be produced that projects the value of future claims. This information feeds into the Department’s estimates process to identify possible liability for the Department and the HSE in any given year. The SCA assists the Governance and Performance division of the Department with a number of other claims relating to Medical Defence Union Refusals that involve legal proceedings which may generate liabilities, depending on the outcome of the litigation.  Because these proceedings have yet to be heard disclosure would prejudice the Exchequer position and/or future negotiations with third parties.

Where there are any uncertainties, the Government Accounting Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are consulted for guidance. Supporting documentation (including correspondence) outlining why the contingent liability has been entered into is retained for review either internally or by third parties, such as the staff of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

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