asked the Minister for Health if he will outline, in relation to the last year for which figures are available, the percentage of total public expenditure on health which is accounted for by the moneys made available from the sweepstake.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sweepstakes Moneys.
4.
Expenditure on health services — capital and non-capital — which is financed from public funds totalled £559.3 million in 1979. The total amount paid into the Hospitals Trust Fund in 1979 which was derived from sweepstakes sources was £1,563 million or about 0.28 per cent of the overall total expenditure.
In view of the ridiculously small percentage the Sweepstakes are now making as a contribution to the overall hospital fund, is the Minister now happy, and can he say so on behalf of the Government, with the overall operation of the Sweepstakes, specifically the management costs and secrecy surrounding the general operation of the accounts of the Sweepstakes having regard to their miserable contribution to the hospital fund?
The Minister for Justice has responsibility in relation to the Hospital Sweepstakes. We all recognise that the contribution which has been made by the Hospital Sweepstakes over the years has been very great and has now come down to a very low level. Over the years the total amount paid to the Hospitals Trust Fund totalled approximately £120 million. Therefore the Deputy will appreciate that it was a major source of funds in the past. As the Deputy may have observed recently, some effort has been made to stimulate the income to the fund. Needless to say as Minister for Health I hope these efforts will prove to be successful to a greater degree than at present. But the control of the board is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice.
Perhaps the Minister did not hear my question. With the permission of the Chair I shall repeat it. Is the Minister now happy on behalf of the Government — or does the position of Cabinet responsibility still operate — with the level of contribution from the Sweepstakes? Irrespective of which Minister has departmental responsibility are the Government satisfied with the operations of the Sweepstakes and particularly the secrecy surrounding their accounts and management?
The operation of this is a matter for another Minister.
If the Minister wants to pass the buck, let him say that and we will get on with Question Time. The Minister should either answer the question or not bother.
There is an orderly way of putting questions in the House, that is, that a Deputy puts the question relevant to one Minister to that Minister.
If the Minister does not want to answer, let him not bother. If he does not want to answer, let him say, "I do not want to answer that, it is embarrassing", but let him not beat around the bush.
I am not saying that. What I am saying is that if a Deputy puts down such a question——
Would the Minister either answer it or not?
I have answered the question as put by the Deputy.
The Minister has ducked it. I can understand why.