Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I move amendment No. 30:

In page 31, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following:

43.—(1) There shall be set up for the purposes of this section a special account in the name of the Minister for Health and any moneys accepted by the Minister under section 42(1) shall be placed in the special account.

(2) The moneys in the special account shall be used only—

(a) for the purposes of making contributions towards building, furnishing and equipping a new national paediatric hospital, or

(b) if purposes referred to at paragraph (a) no longer exist, for the purposes of making contributions towards extending, refurbishing, equipping or reequipping the hospital referred to in that paragraph.

(3) The moneys, including interest, in the special account may be used at any time for the purposes referred to in subsection (2) and shall be issued out of that account only by the Minister for Health with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

(4) The Minister for Health shall cause to be kept all proper and usual accounts of all moneys received into or payments made from the special account.

(5) In this section, "special account" means the account set up for the purposes of this section which account shall be—

(a) an account with the Central Bank,

(b) operated subject to such terms and conditions as the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform may determine, and

(c) subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.".

During the Committee Stage debate the Minister of State, Deputy Sean Sherlock, indicated on my behalf that I would table an amendment to provide for the use of further cash contributions over and above the €110 million for the statutory fund for the new national children's hospital. This amendment which is technical in nature deals with the mechanics of how contributions received will be channelled to the new national paediatric hospital. This is in keeping with the previous stated position that all further cash contributions will be used for the new hospital.

As Deputies are aware, this and the previous Government adopted the position that it is appropriate for the management bodies which ran the scheduled institutions to meet the cost of the response on a 50:50 basis with the State. These costs are now expected to exceed €1.36 billion and may even approach €1.5 billion. The response to date falls well short of the 50:50 target. I have noted the argument expressed by the select committee that those concerned should face up to their responsibilities and share the burden which has, by and large, been carried by taxpayer. I continue to pursue the issue of additional contributions with the congregations.

Section 42(1) provides for the receipt of contributions from congregations towards the costs of redress. It is these contributions that will go towards the cost of the national children's hospital.

Subsection (1) of the new section 43 provides for the placement of such contributions in a special account of the Central Bank in the name of the Minister for Health. Subsection (2) specifies that the moneys in the account may only be used for the purposes of making contributions towards the building, furnishing and equipping of a national paediatric hospital or, if appropriate, the making of contributions towards the extension, refurbishment, equipping or re-equipping of the hospital. Subsection (3) requires that moneys can only be issued from the special account by the Minister for Health with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The provisions in subsections (4) and (5) are standard provisions which include requirements in respect of the preparation of accounts and audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

See this speech in context