Vol. 558 No. 5
97 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the total income of the social insurance fund; the total outgoing from the fund in 2002; the accumulated surplus of the fund as at 1 January 2002; the projected accumulated surplus as at 31 December 2002; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24706/02]
The total income of the social insurance fund in 2002 is expected to amount to €4,769 million while the total outgoing from the SIF in 2002 is expected to amount to €4,977 million. The accumulated surplus of the fund as at 1 January 2002 was €1,485 million and the corresponding figure as at 31 December 2002 is projected to be €1,243 million.
98 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress which has been made on the establishment of the social insurance fund board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24709/02]
Under the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, the Government undertook to examine the issues associated with the establishment of a social insurance fund board with representation from the social partners.
Officials from the Department of Finance, and from my own Department, have met on a number of occasions with representatives of trade unions and of employers. The aim of the discussions, which were recently concluded, was to examine how any such board might be constituted and the role that it could usefully play. The outcome of those discussions is currently under consideration and I would expect that my colleague, the Minister for Finance, and I will be in a position to respond formally to the social partners in the near future.
Question No. 99 answered with Question No. 73.
