Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 October 2019
86. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the overspend in the health Vote for 2016; when the extra €500 million in expenditure was granted for the health Vote; when it was allocated in the Further Revised Estimates Volume; the area this funding came from; the reason a Supplementary Estimate was not required for the health Vote in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43992/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe initial Revised Estimates for 2016 (published in December 2015) set out an allocation of €13.149 billion of current expenditure for the Health Vote. However, these Revised Estimates were not considered by Committee or agreed by the Dáil before the Dáil was dissolved on 3 February 2016. In June 2016, the Revised Estimates were amended, and a total of €13.695 billion was allocated to the Health Vote for current expenditure. Up until that point, all spending was based on Section 2 of the Central Fund (Permanent Provisions) Act 1965 which allows spending up to four-fifths of the amount appropriated in the previous year’s Appropriation Act. Please note that this was not a Further Revised Estimate; the Revised Estimates were simply agreed at a later stage than usual due to the dissolution of the Dáil.
The additional funding was provided to the Department of Health to deal with spending pressures, including overspends in the acute sector and PCRS up until the point at which the Revised Estimates were agreed, and to ensure that service levels were maintained in relation to health and social care. A Supplementary Estimate was not required for the Health Vote in 2016, as total spending was maintained within the overall ceiling as set out in the Revised Estimates (€14.109 billion).
