Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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349. To ask the Minister for Health the amount the average household spends on private healthcare and private health insurance each year on average. [47217/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Central Statistics Office carries out a Household Budget Survey every five years. The figures from the latest survey for the period 2015-2016 show that the average household spent €18.48 per week on medical expenses which was 2.2% of the total weekly spend, or €960.96 annually. This figure covers a wide variety of services including GP and dentist visits, hospital visits, physiotherapy and medicines and other medical expenses. The Household Budget Survey gives a combined figure for medical and dental insurance in the same period of €23.66 per week, which was 2.8% of the total weekly spend, or €1,230.32 annually.

The Health Insurance Authority collects information on the average annual premium paid in the Irish health insurance market, which was €1,214 as of June 2018. This is the gross premium before tax relief on health insurance premiums is applied. The Health Insurance Authority does not collect information on the amount households spend on private health insurance.

I hope this information is helpful for the Deputy's query.