(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health the total yield from the following categories of medical services under section 15 of the Health Act, 1953 over the past six years: (a) institutional maintenance and treatment charges, (b) specialist service charges, and (c) X-ray diagnostic charges.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Services.
20.
As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:—
AMOUNTS collected by health authorities in respect of charges for medical services under section 15 of the Health Act, 1953, as amended.
|
Year |
Institutional Maintenance and Treatment |
Out-Patient Specialist Services |
|
|
X-ray |
Other |
||
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
1958/59 |
254,000 |
26,000 |
14,000 |
|
1959/60 |
295,700 |
27,000 |
14,000 |
|
1960/61 |
313,300 |
24,000 |
15,000 |
|
1961/62 |
333,000 |
24,000 |
17,000 |
|
1962/63 |
356,200 |
23,000 |
18,000 |
|
1963/64 |
387,800 |
24,000 |
19,000 |
NOTE: Some degree of estimation has been adopted in apportioning the income under the X-ray and other specialist services, as detailed information on these items is not ordinarily supplied to my Department by all health authorities.
22.
(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health the present position regarding the introduction of regulations under section 21 of the Health Act, 1953 relative to dental, aural and ophthalmic treatment and appliances; and when it is proposed to make such regulations.
Section 21 of the Health Act, 1953, relates to persons in the middle income group and their dependants.
The services referred to in the question are already available, free of charge, to children under six years of age in respect of defects discovered at child welfare clinics, and to pupils of national schools in respect of defects discovered in course of school health examinations. These include children of parents in the middle income group. Dental, ophthalmic and aural services are also available to certain adults in the middle income group under the Department of Social Welfare Benefit Scheme.
In view of the high incidence of dental caries in school-children, provision has been included in the Estimates for my Department for the coming financial year for the extension of dental services, on a contributory basis, to day pupils of secondary schools and to pupils under 18 years of age attending full-time day classes at vocational schools. I shall announce the details when introducing the Estimates to the House in the next few weeks.
23.
(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health the cost of general medical services over the past eight years under the following headings: (a) salaries and wages (b) administrative and (c) medicines and medical appliances.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate with the Official Report a table giving the required information.
Following is the table:
|
Cost of General Medical Services |
|||
|
Salaries and Wages |
Administrative and other expenses |
Medicines and Medical Appliances |
|
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
1956-57 |
667,800 |
70,900 |
176,000 |
|
1957-58 |
672,100 |
65,700 |
211,500 |
|
1958-59 |
677,100 |
70,000 |
276,400 |
|
1959-60 |
686,300 |
70,500 |
322,100 |
|
1960-61 |
839,400 |
80,900 |
386,300 |
|
1961-62 |
955,500 |
89,200 |
453,700 |
|
1962-63 |
943,300 |
107,500 |
530,200 |
|
1963-64 |
963,300 |
110,000 |
608,300 |
24.
(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health the total expenditure on health, excluding subventions from Hospitals Sweepstake sources, over the past eight years classified as (a) non-capital and (b) capital expenditure.
As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
|
Year |
Net Revenue Expenditure of Health Authorities |
Borrowings by health authorities to meet expenditure on capital projects |
|
£000 |
£000 |
|
|
1956-57 |
15,743 |
722 |
|
1957-58 |
15,949 |
958 |
|
1958-59 |
16,476 |
227 |
|
1959-60 |
16,658 |
273 |
|
1960-61 |
17,696 |
224 |
|
1961-62 |
19,259 |
169 |
|
1962-63 |
21,232 |
186 |
|
1963-64 |
22,541 |
342 |
NOTE: The decrease in the figures in column 3 after the year 1957-58 is attributable to the suspension of planning of new works, owing to the critical financial position which developed in the year 1956.
25.
(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health the total annual contribution from Sweepstake funds to health services over the past eight years classified as (a) capital and (b) non-capital.
As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
GRANTS from the hospitals trust fund.
|
Year |
Non Capital |
Capital |
|
|
Payments to Voluntary Hospitals towards revenue deficits. |
Other |
Grants to voluntary hospitals and health authorities for capital projects. |
|
|
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
|
£000 |
£000 |
£000 |
|
|
1956-57 |
701 |
76 |
2,363 |
|
1957-58 |
1,250 |
66 |
945 |
|
1958-59 |
900 |
67 |
623 |
|
1959-60 |
1,200 |
67 |
626 |
|
1960-61 |
1,500 |
70 |
548 |
|
1961-62 |
2,140 |
94 |
683 |
|
1962-63 |
1,900 |
121 |
495 |
|
1963-64 |
2,400 |
144 |
694 |
NOTE: The decrease in the figures in Col. (4) after the year 1957-58 is attributable to the suspension of planning of new works, owing to the critical financial position, which developed in the year 1956.
26.
(South Tipperary) asked the Minister for Health the percentage of total health costs apportioned to salaries and wages annually over the past eight years.
In 1956/57 the expenditure attributable to salaries, wages and remuneration in the health services provided by local authorities, at £7,031,000, represented 44.7 per cent of the net revenue expenditure of such authorities. In 1963/64 the expenditure on salaries, et cetera, had increased to £10,859,000 and the percentage had increased to 48.2. Details in respect of the intervening years are contained in a tabular statement which, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
T expenditure of health authorities on salaries, wages, and other remuneration and percentage which this expenditure represents of the total net revenue expenditure of these authorities.
|
Year |
Net expenditure on salaries and wages, etc. |
Percentage |
|
£000 |
||
|
1956-57 |
7,031 |
44.7 |
|
1957-58 |
7,154 |
44.9 |
|
1958-59 |
7,482 |
45.4 |
|
1959-60 |
7,740 |
46.5 |
|
1960-61 |
8,607 |
48.6 |
|
1961-62 |
9,712 |
50.4 |
|
1962-63 |
10,477 |
49.3 |
|
1963-64 |
10,859 |
48.2 |