Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Health the amount paid in consultants' fees by private health insurers annually; and the amount additionally paid to them by persons [40155/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Last year the Health Insurance Authority requested the private health insurers (Aviva, Quinn/ya, VHI) to provide a breakdown of their Returned Benefits for the second half of 2011 into public hospital costs, private hospital costs and consultant costs. Returned Benefits represent approximately 85% of total health insurance claims and do not include claims for Outpatient attendance. The Authority has advised that the data shows that consultant fees paid by private health insurers amount to €203m for the second half of 2011, representing 25% of a total of €811m. The equivalent figure for the first half of 2012 is €183m, representing 22% of a total of €829m. Figures for additional amounts paid to consultants by private patients are not collated.