Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if all of the €230 million, which was set aside to deal with the needs of the extra number of persons who qualify for a medical card this year, will be spent; the amount of it that has been spent to date; the amount used to address the dental needs of medical card patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38026/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The gross current Voted allocation to the Health Service Executive is €14.139 billion. The HSE is required under the Health Act, 2004 to deliver the total quantum of health and personal services set out in the approved National Service Plan within this allocation.

A sum of €230m was included in the National Service Plan for 2010 to meet costs associated with the full year cost of the growth in medical cards during 2009 and the expected growth in the number of people qualifying for medical cards and GP visit cards in 2010.

The net increase in medical cards in 2009 was 126,440 while the number of GP visit cards increased by 12,779. The HSE Plan for 2010 projected that the number of people qualifying for medical cards and GP visit cards would increase by 144,000 and 16,111 by the end of 2010. As of 1st September 2010, there has been a net increase of 100,053 medical cards and 11,972 GP visit cards in the year to date. It is anticipated that the total net increase by year end will be in the region of 142,885 medical cards and 17,530 GP visit cards.

While the HSE has introduced measures to contain Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) expenditure at the 2008 level of approximately €63 million, it is projected that expenditure on the DTSS will reach €79 million by the end of the year.

The €230m referred to above is included in Subhead B6 of the HSE Vote which includes funding for all community schemes, including the medical card services scheme. Although voted expenditure to end-September on this subhead is below profile the latest financial projections show that overall the HSE would have a significant expenditure overrun in the absence of taking appropriate corrective action and that there will be very substantial shortfall in health contribution receipts. It is essential that the HSE, in consultation with my Department and the Department of Finance, manages the delivery of its Service Plan and associated expenditure in order to live within its overall allocation for this year.