Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount of the overall health budget that currently comes from health insurance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9291/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The total health expenditure for a given year is compiled from the health estimates as published in the Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services together with household survey data supplied by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in relation to household spending and treatment benefits paid from the Social Insurance Fund. The latest year for which a full set of data is available is 2004. The total public health expenditure, both current and capital, for 2004 amounted to €10.161 billion. An amount of €2.954 billion for private expenditure is then added to give an overall total health expenditure of €12.755 billion. My Department has estimated that €1 billion or 8% was in respect of the private health insurance sector.