Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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39. To ask the Minister for Health if data exist on the cost to the Exchequer of operating a private system of health care; if so, the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37865/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not collect data specifically on the cost to the exchequer of operating a private system of healthcare. However, the System of Health Accounts provides data on current health expenditure in Ireland and other EU and OECD countries, both public and private. It is collected by the CSO in Ireland for the purpose of estimating health care expenditure according to the international standard of the System of Health Accounts 2011. It sets out health care expenditure broken down into 3 main sources – “Government and Compulsory”, “Voluntary Health Care Payment Schemes” and “Household Out-of-Pocket Payments". It also breaks the figures down into 10 different types of Health Care Provider. This information is published on the CSO’s website.

As the Deputy will be aware, there are a number of tax reliefs available for certain health-related expenditure. My officials are in contact with the Revenue Commissioners to obtain details on this which will be forwarded to the Deputy separately. However, It is important to note in order to avoid double counting, that all these sources of expenditure are included in the System of Health Accounts data.