Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 December 2004
31 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount paid for agency services in 2003 and to date in 2004; the bodies involved; the amount paid to each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33502/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra72 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount paid for agency services in 2003 and to date in 2004; the amount paid to each body and the work carried out in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33503/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 72 together.
Payments for agency services are made for services provided to my Department by medical practitioners and by An Post and De La Rue-Smurfit Limited. Medical practitioners provide medical certificates to insured persons in support of illness related claims. The Department makes payments to them for the costs incurred in issuing certificates and in the completion of medical reports where these are required for the administration of illness related schemes.
Payments to An Post are in respect of the payment service operated by the company for the encashment of social welfare payments. An Post has provided these services to the Department over a long number of years. Their extensive networks have ensured that customers in all areas receive suitable encashment services. The payments which An Post provides include non-contributory pensions, child benefit, pre-retirement allowances, disability allowances, one parent family allowances and unemployment allowances. In addition to these social assistance payments which are Exchequer funded, An Post makes social insurance payments, including old age contributory pensions, widow's contributory pensions, disability benefit and unemployment benefit. The fees paid to An Post cover both the Exchequer funded and social insurance funded schemes.
Payments are made to De La Rue-Smurfit in respect of the printing and production of personalised pension order books and child benefit order books which are presented for encashment by customers at post offices. Some 1.7 million books were produced in 2003 and the Department estimates that 1.8 million books will be produced in 2004. The total expenditure for agency services in 2003 amounted to €53.173 million. This included €29.099 million paid to An Post in encashment fees in respect of social assistance payments. A sum of €2.443 million was paid for the production of order books by De La Rue-Smurfit and €21.631 million to medical practitioners for medical certificates and reports.
Expenditure to the end of November 2004 amounts to €53.566 million. This is made up of €26.535 million paid to An Post for the encashment of social assistance payments, €2.245 million paid to De La Rue-Smurfit for the production of order books and €24.786 million for medical certificates and reports provided by medical practitioners.
A sum of €20.844 million was paid to An Post in respect of social insurance scheme payments in 2003 and €19.528 million in 2004, to November. These payments are made from the social insurance fund.
I thank the Minister for his response. As regards medical practitioners, when people have to go for medical examinations, appeals and so on, is that cost included and, if so, will the Minister give a breakdown of the costs?
The current fee payable from 1 July to a medical practitioner is €8.25 per certificate and €44.44 per report. The total cost of this is €21.6 million for medical certificates and reports, inclusive.
