I propose to take Questions Nos. 274 and 275 together.
A sum of £2001 million was made available by the Government to the health sector under the National Development Plan 2000-2006.
The indicative funding figures for health boards are based on a number of factors including meeting capital commitments already planned or under way, addressing the regional objectives of the NDP so that priority is given to the disadvantaged areas, and providing for key service initiatives. The latter relates, for example, to capital projects that will underpin better integration of services, the waiting list initiative, disability services, etc.
A further consideration was to achieve more equal funding between the hospital and non-hospital sectors to address the situation that has emerged over the years whereby the majority of capital funding available was utilised by acute hospital services. The national objective is to move towards a 50/50 basis over the life span of the NDP.
My Department issued last month indicative funding figures for the NDP to health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority, ERHA. These related to the years 2001-2006 only, as the most appropriate approach for this year is to manage the capital programme to ensure that carry-over commitments into 2000 are met and that extensive equipping and refurbishment programmes in various health board areas are commenced. Also, given the rapid pace of technical change associated with information and communications technology, ICT, systems generally, indicative funding figures for the years 2000 – 2002 only issued to boards in respect of this particular area. The total indicative figure issued to the Midland Health Board for the years 2001-2006, excluding the ICT area, was £124.06 million. The indicative figure for the board in respect of ICT for the years 2000-2002 was £2.09 million.