(Cavan) asked the Minister for Health if he will state in respect of each of the last three available years the total amount of hospital bills issued by all health authorities to members of the middle income group; and the total amount collected in respect of each year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Bills.
71.
Mr. O'Malley
From preliminary inquiries made, it is clear that the abstraction of the information sought by the Deputy would involve health authorities in an inordinate amount of work. The reason for this is that, in order to ensure the accuracy of the returns, it would be necessary to trace each individual account through to the actual payment or disposal of the account otherwise. I do not feel that I would be justified in asking the health authorities to go to the undue trouble of producing the information in the from set out by the Deputy.
(Cavan): Surely it should be possible to find out the amount of each sum written off by the health authority, if I frame the question in that way?
Mr. O'Malley
If the Deputy frames it in that way. I can give him some information all right.
(Cavan): I shall do that.