Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 167: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if, regarding the notes set out on Vote 40, Health Service Executive, in the abridged Book of Estimates for 2006 which states that the year on year increase in gross spending under the Vote is 9% rather than 6% when account is taken of once-off moneys provided in 2005, mainly related to the establishment of the Health Service Executive as a Vote, she will itemise the once-off moneys provided under that Vote in 2005 and particularly the cost of establishing the Health Service Executive as a Vote; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36550/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The recently published Abridged Estimates Volume 2006 provides gross non-capital funding of €11.684 billion to the Health Service Executive for 2006. This compares with a published figure of €10.975 billion for the HSE's Vote in the Revised Estimate 2005. This is a headline increase of €709 million or 6.4%. However, in the Revised Estimates 2005 certain once-off provisions were made due to the establishment of the HSE as a Vote holder, as well as other items which arose in 2005 within the HSE's Vote.

A total of €122 million was provided in respect of accumulated overdrafts of the former health boards which fell to be repaid at the start of 2005 as the HSE, with its own Vote, is precluded from running an overdraft. A further once-off provision of €94 million was also made available in respect of certain statutory and other deductions from health board employee salaries in December 2004, which were actually paid to Revenue in January 2005, and therefore had to be charged to the HSE's Vote. This had the effect of charging 13 monthly deductions in 2005 rather than the usual 12 monthly deductions.

Also included in the list of once-off items is €40 million which was made available under subhead B13 of Vote 40 in respect of the ex gratia payment scheme established in the context of the issue of charges for long-stay care in health board institutions. A once-off sum of €23.8 million was provided in 2005 for arrears to GPs under Partnership 2000. These once-off items total €280 million. Therefore, the 2005 REV figure comparable with that published in AEV 2006 excludes these items and amounts to €10.695 million. Comparing this with the HSE's gross non-capital funding for 2006 shows an underlying increase of 9.25%.