asked the Minister for Health the approximate cost in pence per week of abolishing under the Health Contributions Bill, 1971 (a) the up to 50p per day charge under the Health Act, 1953, (b) the up to 50p per day charge under the Mental Treatment Acts, (c) charges for medical examinations and (d) charges for medicines and drugs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Service Charges.
4.
I presume the Deputy has in mind income accruing to health boards by way of charges for in-patient and out-patient services. The average amount collected per week for such charges in year ended 31/3/70 was (a) £9,000 for in-patient services under section 15 of the Health Act 1953; £6,000 for services under the Mental Treatment Act, 1945, as amended, and (b) £2,000 for out-patient services under the Health Act, 1953. There are no separate charges made for medicines and drugs provided as part of such services.
Would the Minister state if it is proposed that health authorities will pay this now, or will the Government pay it?
I do not follow the Deputy.
Could the Minister say if the money to meet these charges will now come direct from the local authorities to the health boards or will the State, out of the collection they are making of the 15p per week, pay this sum to the local authorities?
The State will pay the charges out of the contribution. Contributions are being eliminated by an amendment of the 1970 Act.
5.
asked the Minister for Health if he will state in respect of the latest year for which figures are available the number of health service charges imposed by health authorities in the functional area of the Eastern Health Board under (1) section 15 of the Health Act, 1953 and (2) the Mental Treatment Acts, indicating the estimated number of charges affecting (a) insured persons, (b) farmers and (c) others.
I am advised by the health authorities concerned that information is not available in the form requested by the Deputy.
How does the Minister say that the information is not available? Is it not a question of asking the components that make up the Eastern Health Authority for the information? Surely the CEO can get that?
I think the Deputy will realise that to ask the chief executive officer and the newly appointed officers in the health boards to examine 50,000 assessment forms in order to give an accurate reply to the Deputy would be hardly worth the information produced. They could produce information as to the number of assessments made with regard to charges for in-patient and out-patient services but they could not say whether these were insured persons, farmers or other persons. That figure could not be got.
The Minister said that the CEO could not or should not be asked to do this but surely he would not have to do it? Is the Minister aware that at present each local authority is administering the health service under the same arrangement and, therefore, they could supply that information and from the documents they have got they must have the information I have asked for? However, if the Minister says they cannot get it I shall not press the matter further.