Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 25 Mar 1997

Vol. 476 No. 7

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

Noel Treacy

Ceist:

136 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Health the reason sufficient funds have not been given to the health boards to enable them pay the various statutory grants available to citizens; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that health boards are approximately one year in arrears in grant payments; the amount of money allocated to each health board in each of the years from 1994 to 1997; the current overdraft facility available to each board; the amount of grants still unpaid in each health board area on 31 December 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8114/97]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): I am pleased to set out in the following tables details of (a) health board non-capital allocations for the years 1994 to 1997, (b) approved overdraft facilities for 1997. In relation to bank overdraft facilities, approval is given to health boards to utilise this facility, up to a maximum of 2 per cent of a board's non-capital allocation.

The non-capital funding approved for health boards in any year takes full account of the payment of statutory grants, as approved by boards in that year. In 1994, the Department put in place a payments Protocol linked to a system for determining and reporting on health boards' working capital. This system has worked well, and significant improvements have been made in payments by boards to trade creditors, to those providing services on their behalf and to those persons eligible for cash and other statutory grants. The Department reviews the performance of individual boards on a monthly basis. In this regard, my Department is not aware of any significant delay in the payment of statutory grants approved by boards.

However, should the Deputy be aware of specific problems in relation to the payment of grants, I would be glad if he communicated these to me and I will have my Department address the matter on an urgent basis.

Health Boards

Original Allocations 1994-1997

Board	1994	1995	1996	1997
Eastern	318.179	340.756	360.364	399.169
Midland	82.379	86.892	91.441	99.516
Mid-Western	110.832	116.490	120.850	129.226
North-Eastern	88.323	95.091	99.105	107.914
North-Western	104.776	109.346	112.709	121.297
South-Eastern	150.680	160.563	166.103	179.740
Southern	198.895	208.656	214.228	231.269
Western	162.414	169.648	176.498	190.139

1997 Approved Overdraft Limits

Board	£m
Eastern	8.0
Midland	2.0
Mid-Western	2.6
North-Eastern	2.2
North-Western	2.4
South-Eastern	3.6
Southern	4.6
Western	3.8