Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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228. To ask the Minister for Health when the Voluntary Health Insurance Board must acquire the necessary capital reserves to make an application for authorisation by the Central Bank of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5302/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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VHI's application for authorisation was submitted to the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) on 16 May 2014. VHI continues to engage closely with the CBI in respect of its application, and my Department has also provided a number of clarifications to the Bank to assist it in its understanding of the interaction between the private health insurance market and the health system.

Any capital requirement will be determined by the CBI, as the independent regulator, following its assessment of VHI's application. I expect that VHI will be authorised at the earliest opportunity, if approved by the Central Bank.