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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 2002

Vol. 554 No. 5

Written Answers. - Departmental Expenditure.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

1193 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which spending in the first nine months of 2002 compares to the budgeted profile for spending for each major programme of his Department's spending; and his forecast for year-end overruns. [17168/02]

Information is not currently available in relation to the first nine months of the year. The reporting arrangements for the health boards requires them to submit integrated management reports on a monthly basis, these reports being due on the 25 of the month following that to which they refer. As a result, the most recent expenditure information is in relation to August.

The following table outlines the variance between expenditure and budget across programmes for the ERHA-health boards to the end of August:

Description

ERHA

MHB

MWHB

NEHB

NWHB

SEHB

SHB

WHB

Total

% ofBudget

€m

€m

€m

€m

€m

€m

€m

€m

€m

%

Acute Hospitals

26.298

3.677

2.360

13.036

2.711

3.299

13.876

15.097

80.354

1.48

Community Services

6.837

3.585

1.838

3.062

4.884

1.610

6.786

0.299

28.901

0.53

Special Hospitals

1.819

3.725

1.771

0.262

0.934

0.150

1.388

0.910

2.297

0.04

Central Services

0.887

4.911

0.730

2.972

1.525

1.171

3.428

3.400

1.798

0.04

Total

35.841

6.076

1.697

12.864

10.054

6.230

22.702

17.886

113.350

2.09

The gross variance will be offset by funding for recoupable items under a Supplementary Estimate. Currently the amount of such items is approximately €24 million, bringing the net variance to end August to approximately €90 million.
The spending to August is some 2.09% in excess of the period budget. When comparing the expenditure pattern to that recorded in 2001 for the same period, the increase over budget in 2001 was 5%. The latest available figures for the 2001 outturn would indicate that the overall excess spending was in the region of €18 million or 0.31% of approved spending.
The Department, together with the authority and health boards, is continually reviewing the expenditure outcomes in order to manage both the financial and service delivery aspects presenting. It should be noted that health boards have been asked to review their spending in order that the year-end spending does not exceed the approved level. It should also be noted that acute hospital output has recorded increases of 14.36% in day case activity, and 5.28% for all discharges in the first seven months of 2002 over 2001.
Question No. 1194 answered with Question No. 1147.
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