Mary Harney
Ceist:62 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the purpose for which moneys from the national lottery-funded subhead, I2, of his Department's vote were allocated in 1994. [9080/95]
Written Answers. - National Lottery.
Mary Harney
Ceist:64 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the way in which the national lottery-funded budget for health promotion is spent. [9082/95]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 64 together.
The Health Vote is comprised of subheads funded from the Exchequer and the national lottery. Spending on health programmes is determined by reference to the overall level of funding available and is not directly to the source of the funding.
In the case of the Capital Programme, the overall sum available in 1994 was £65.17 million, of which £11.1 million came from national lottery funds. However, the distribution of that money was related to the individual commitments and priorities within my Department without reference to the source of those funds. It is, therefore, possible for a proposal to be funded both from Exchequer and national lottery funds.
Likewise, in the case of the Health Promotion Programme for 1994, £1.6 million of the programme was funded from Exchequer funds and £0.5 million was funded from the national lottery.
Mary Harney
Ceist:63 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the number of voluntary organisations which applied for national lottery funds directly to his Department in 1994; the organisations that were fully successful in their applications; the organisations that were partly successful; the organisations that were unsuccessful; the individual amounts allocated; the criteria used for making such decisions; and the means whereby the scheme is made known to voluntary organisations working in the health and social sphere. [9081/95]
Limerick East): A total of 108 voluntary organisations applied directly to my Department for national lottery funds in 1994. Of these, 18 were fully successful, 20 were partly successful five were funded from other resources and there were 65 unsuccessful applications.
The criteria used to assess applications for national lottery funding are as follows. First, the application must comply with the legislation governing the distribution of national lottery funds as it applies to the health services i.e. that it is in respect of the health of the community. In addition, due to the limited resources available, each grant request is assesed by the relevant service division within my Department. The division will, either through its direct knowledge of the work of the organisation or on the basis of information provided by the relevant health board, take a view on whether the grant should be favourably considered and, if so, the order of priority which should be afforded to it among the competing requests.
The Deputy should be aware that in respect of the overall lottery funds of £30 million provided in the Health Vote in 1994, £15.8 million was allocated in support of ongoing services administered by health boards or by bodies which have a close relationship with my Department: £1.7 million was allocated to health boards in respect of block grants: £11.1 million was included in funding for the Capital Programme and £0.5 million was included in the Programme for Health Promotion. The remaining amount of £0.9 million was therefore available for payment to organisations on a discretionary basis. Requests for lottery funding may be received from a number of sources including public representatives and members of the public. On receipt of any request for funding a standard application form is issued to the relevant organisation.
The amounts allocated to each organisation in 1994 are listed as follows.
|
Organisation |
|
|
£ |
|
|
Beaumont Hospital |
10,000 |
|
Centre for Independent Living |
33,000 |
|
Chernobyl Children's Irish Aid Programme |
3,000 |
|
Coiste Forbartha an Gleanna |
10,000 |
|
Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland |
8,764 |
|
Dún Laoghaire Lions Club |
6,736 |
|
Eccles Breast Screening Programme |
30,000 |
|
Friends of Cuan Aoibheann |
20,000 |
|
Friends of Larine House |
20,000 |
|
Headway: National Head Injuries Association |
20,000 |
|
Huntington's Disease Association |
40,000 |
|
Irish Association of Older People |
20,000 |
|
Irish Family Planning Association |
20,000 |
|
Irish Kidney Association |
40,000 |
|
Irish Red Cross Society |
10,000 |
|
Irish Sudden Infant Death Association |
70,000 |
|
Irish Wheelchair Association |
75,000 |
|
Irish Wheelchair Association (West Cork Branch) |
10,000 |
|
Kerry Parents and Friends |
5,000 |
|
Munitir na Tíre |
40,000 |
|
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland (South Mayo Branch) |
3,025 |
|
National Association for the Deaf |
75,000 |
|
National League of the Blind |
50,000 |
|
National Nutrition Surveillance Centre |
32,000 |
|
New Ross Community Hospital |
35,000 |
|
Open Door Day Care Centre |
15,000 |
|
Order of Malta Ambulance Corps |
10,000 |
|
Physically Challenged Irish Youth Team |
5,000 |
|
Positive Action |
5,000 |
|
Sacred Heart Nursing Home, Youghal |
10,000 |
|
Schizophrenia Association of Ireland |
20,000 |
|
Sisters of Bon Sauveur, Dungarvan |
20,000 |
|
Southern Counties Diabetic Association |
1,000 |
|
St. Francis Hospice |
89,000 |
|
St. John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland |
10,000 |
|
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland |
20,000 |
|
The Children's Hospital, Temple Street |
40,000 |
|
The Dublin Samaritans |
15,000 |
Mary Harney
Ceist:65 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the way in which the national lottery-funded block allocations to the health boards were spent in 1994 or the last year for which details are available. [9083/95]
Limerick East): Block grants totalling £1,710,000 were allocated to each health board in 1994 as follows:
|
£ |
|
|
Eastern Health Board |
315,000 |
|
Midland Health Board |
170,000 |
|
Mid Western Health Board |
205,000 |
|
North Eastern Health Board |
205,000 |
|
North Western Health Board |
170,000 |
|
South Eastern Health Board |
220,000 |
|
Southern Health Board |
220,000 |
|
Western Health Board |
205,000 |
In 1989 the then Government decided that, with effect from 1990, a block allocation would be made to each health board in respect of grants to voluntary bodies in their area. Such grants are distributed by health boards having regard to local priorities and within the guidelines laid down by my Department. The grants are accounted for within the health boards annual financial returns and are subject to audit in the normal way. Under those circumstances health boards are not required to supply my Department with details of the individual grants from this source.
Mary Harney
Ceist:66 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the way in which the national lottery-funded allocations to health boards for services for the elderly were spent in 1994, or the last year for which details are available. [9084/95]
Mary Harney
Ceist:67 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the way in which the national lottery-funded allocations to health boards for mental handicap services were spent in 1994, or the last year for which details are available. [9085/95]
Mary Harney
Ceist:68 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the way in which the national lottery funded allocations to health boards for services for the physically handicapped were spent in 1994, or the last year for which details are available. [9086/95]
Mary Harney
Ceist:69 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the way in which the national lottery funded allocations to health boards for services for child care services were spent in 1994, or the last year for which details are available. [9087/95]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 to 69, inclusive, together. Health services funding is provided mainly from the Exchequer. A small proportion of the overall health funding is provided from national lottery funds. In 1994 the contribution from the national lottery towards the total expenditure on ongoing health services administered by health boards amounted to £13.525 million. The amounts of national lottery funding included in respect of individual services were:
|
£m |
|
|
Services for the Elderly |
5.541 |
|
Child Care Services |
2.142 |
|
Services for the Mentally Handicapped |
1.071 |
|
Services for the Physically Handicapped |
0.775 |
|
Public Health Services |
0.767 |
|
Health Board Services |
3.229 |
Mary Harney
Ceist:70 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health the difference between the allocations by his Department to health board services and the block allocation to health boards, both of which receive national lottery funding. [9088/95]
Limerick East): A small proportion of the amounts allocated to health boards towards the cost of ongoing services is met from funding provided from the national lottery. In addition, grants mainly for distribution to local voluntary agencies are allocated as a block grant to each health board and may be disbursed by them in accordance with local priorities and within the specified guidelines set out below.
Grants may be allocated to community based projects under the headings; mental and physical handicap, the elderly, psychiatric services, child care services, personal social services, including information and counselling services. At least 70 per cent of the block grant should be allocated to voluntary groups. Grants from the block grant allocation should not be used in substitution for section 65 grants. Particular care should be taken to ensure that grants are made only to viable schemes which will be completed within a reasonable period. Health boards take particular care to assess the ongoing revenue implications in determining the priority of schemes.
Seán Power
Ceist:71 Mr. Power asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in contacting the Eastern Health Board on behalf of a person (details supplied) in Kildare regarding a request for optical benefit. [9089/95]
Limerick East): On receipt of the Deputy's representations, dated 21 November 1994 which were acknowledged on 24 November 1994 my Department wrote to the Eastern Health Board on 2 December 1994, inquiring as to the position regarding the person's application for optical treatment. Despite reminders no reply was received by my Department.
I now understand from the Eastern Health Board that the person was informed on 30 November 1994 that, as he was eligible for optical treatment under the Department of Social Welfare optical treatment benefit scheme, he should apply for treatment under that scheme. I further understand that the person was approved for treatment under the Department of Social Welfare optical treatment benefit scheme on 5 December 1994 and that he is still qualified for treatment under this scheme in 1995.