asked the Minister for Finance whether in the absence of a comprehensive national health service covering all sections of the community he will consider allowing proven medical expenses to be an allowable deduction for taxation purposes for the middle income group.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Medical Expenses: Deduction for Taxation Purposes.
I regret that I cannot see my way to recommend legislation as suggested by the Deputy. I might, however, add that existing tax law provides relief in respect of payments for insurance against medical, surgical or nursing expenses (including the cost of maintenance at a hospital, etc.) arising out of sickness or accident.
If the Minister would not think of doing this from the humane point of view of trying to help this very large section of the community, would he consider it from the point of view of the Revenue Commissioners, as it would be of assistance in assessing the true cost of medicine——
I did not catch the end of the Deputy's question.
A Deputy
It was very hard to hear any of it.
From the point of view of the Revenue Commissioners, in order to have some way of finding out the true cost of private medicine to the middle income group in our society?
It is a very difficult problem in this country.
Is it not a fact that the entire cost of insurance under the voluntary health insurance scheme, to which the Minister for Health referred a few minutes ago, is allowable as a deduction for income-tax purposes?
Yes.
But the voluntary insurance scheme is very limited in its cover and has a very limited appeal to the vast majority of this group——
If it got more support, it would be able to expand its cover.