Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 89: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason she has given power to the Health Service Executive to retain one quarter of all interest generated from private accounts held on behalf of patients in long-term residential care; if she is satisfied that the planned deductions will be legal; the estimated revenue that will accrue from the deductions; the estimated cost of administering the scheme of deductions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24031/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Section 20 (1) (d) of the Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006 provides for the making of regulations allowing the Health Service Executive (HSE) to impose a charge for the administration of Patient Private Property Accounts. These regulations came into effect on 11 September 2007. The HSE has established a central unit in Tullamore Co. Offaly and the bulk of money held in Patient Private Property Accounts on behalf of patients will be invested via this Unit with the National Treasury Management Agency.

The costs associated with the Central Unit are readily identifiable and cannot be considered integral to HSE care provision. The administration charge will be used to offset the costs of this Unit and the associated external audit fees. The HSE has informed my Department that the costs of administering the Central Unit for 2007 will be approximately €600,000. Based on the current amount of funds in these accounts the estimated annual charges yield would be approximately €570,000.