Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 88: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the estimated cost to the Exchequer in terms of revenue foregone arising from tax reliefs designed to encourage support for the Government's plans for co-located private hospitals on public lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17149/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I should say, in the first instance, that no tax reliefs have been specifically designed or introduced to encourage support for the Government's plans for co-located private hospitals on public lands. The scheme of capital allowances for the construction or refurbishment of buildings used as private hospitals was introduced in the Finance Act 2001 and came into effect in May 2002. Provided that capital expenditure on the proposed co-located private hospitals, which are designed to free up capacity in public hospitals, conforms with the existing legislation governing that scheme then the normal tax relief will apply.

The cost of such tax relief will ultimately depend on the level of qualifying capital expenditure and no such expenditure on the proposed co-located hospitals has yet been incurred. For each €100 million of qualifying capital expenditure on these hospitals the cost of tax relief to investors (assuming a marginal tax rate of 41% for those investors) would amount in gross terms to €41 million spread over 7 years. Of course, with the additional activity generated by the construction of the hospitals, the employment generated and the related services provided on which taxes will be paid, additional revenues would accrue to the Exchequer.