James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of revenue raised from the health levy to date in 2009; the amount raised for each of the past five years; the number of persons paying the levy for same; the exemptions to the levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41225/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The 2009 estimate of receipts in respect of the health levy is €1,892m following the doubling of the levy in the 2009 Supplementary Budget. Health levy receipts to end-October amount to €1,217m.

The Health Levy is charged at 4 per cent on all income once above the threshold of €26,000 and 5 per cent on all income in excess of €75,036 per annum. Those with incomes below the income threshold, certain categories of social welfare recipients, holders of Medical Cards here or their EU equivalents and persons over the age of seventy years are statutorily exempt from the levy.

The amount raised from the Levy and the numbers of persons paying the levy over the past five years are set out:

It should be noted that a married couple who has elected or has been deemed to have elected for joint assessment is counted as one unit. The figures are estimates using actual data for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. For the years 2008 and 2009 the figures are based on the actual data for 2007 adjusted as necessary for income and employment growth.