Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount the State is paying the administrator of the health repayment scheme; if payments are made per claim or are fixed; the deadlines the State has put on processing the health repayment scheme; the number of claims submitted; the way claims have been processed; the number of claims that remain outstanding; the processing time for fully submitted claims; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43543/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility for administering the health repayment scheme in conjunction with the appointed Scheme Administrator KPMG and McCann Fitzgerald.

The HSE has informed my Department that since commencement of the Scheme over 35,000 applications for living and deceased patients have been received by the Health Repayment Scheme. To date over 18,900 claimants have received offers of repayment totalling over €362m and in excess of 14,900 payments have been made totalling over €317m. Further offers continue to be issued every week. The HSE has indicated that payments to the Scheme Administrator are paid at a fixed rate per concluded claim and are subject to a maximum fee of €15m excluding VAT.

The HSE has advised that as provided for in the Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006 the Scheme Administrator in processing the claims received was very focused on prioritising a repayment to those claimants who are still living. The time taken to process each claim received varies depending on the complexity of the application and the availability of accurate records. Every effort is being made to complete repayments as quickly as possible. The HSE has advised that it anticipates that the remaining offers, upwards of 300, will be processed by the end of the year. Repayment amounts offered cannot be paid until the statutory 28 day period for appeal has elapsed and a completed acceptance form has been returned to the Scheme Administrator.