Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No. 59 of 29 November 2007 regarding the issue of interest owing to long stay patients, the recommendations and conclusion as a result of these meetings; the estimate of the value of interest which is owed to patients; when repayment will commence; the cost of the administration of this repayment programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5922/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Department has been advised by the Health Service Executive (HSE) that it is progressing with the task of transferring past interest retained on invested Patient Private Property Accounts. A process to undertake this transfer has been agreed and the HSE is now making final arrangements to commence repayments, initially for the period 2005-2006. The Department has been advised by the HSE that it is working on proposals to refund interest retained on the investment of PPP funds prior to 2005. The HSE anticipates that these proposals will be forwarded to the Department as soon as possible for further discussion and agreement. Until these proposals are agreed, the HSE indicated that it will not be in a position to provide estimates of the cost of administering these refunds. The overall estimate for total refund of interest remains as previously advised, approximately €31m or approximately €48m when adjusted for inflation by reference to the Consumer Price Index.

At the most recent meeting of 8 November 2007 on this issue, the Department requested that the HSE should proceed as speedily as possible with proposals to refund past interest retained. The Secretary General also wrote to the HSE on 19 December 2007 asking that the matter be progressed as a matter of urgency.