SPENDING on the health services is due to rise by 7 per cent next year, to over £2.29 billion, according to the Estimates.
However, there was no spokesperson available from the Department of Health to comment on or explain the provisions for different areas. The Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, is abroad.
The Irish Medical Organisation, said it was "awaiting a full breakdown of the expenditure and fine detail of how the money will be spent" before it would comment.
Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick, general secretary of the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association, said last night that a 7 per cent increase "looked encouraging" but "we have to see the figures behind before we can made a worthwhile comment".
The Estimates show that funding for the building, equipping and furnishing of hospitals and other health facilities is down by over £1.5 million to £96.6 million. Payment to health boards for net expenditure is up 7 per cent to over £1,240 million, expenditure on cash allowances and cash grants is up 27 per cent to £107.4 million. Payments to meet the expenses of the GMS is up 7 per cent to over £284 million. Grants on behalf of health boards to certain other health bodies are up 6 per cent to £617.5 million.
Payments to health agencies in respect of balances of grants for previous years are up 4 per cent to £168 million. Research bodies are to receive £4.3 million, up 33 per cent. Over £4.6 million has been allocated for in patient and outpatient treatment of women who received anti D and contracted hepatitis C.
It is not clear how much has been allocated to deal with hospital waiting lists, or how the Minister's £22 million national cancer strategy will be paid, for, or what hospitals will be affected by the 2 per cent decrease in the buildings programme.
Mr P.J. Madden, general secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisalion, said there was cause for serious concern over the available figures. "If you take into account the special payments such as those for hepatitis C and other exceptional payments there are going to be problems. The Minister had made clear that 5.6 per cent of his normal budget is already accounted for by virtue of the pay increase that has accrued under the PCW. This suggests a standstill in terms of the hiring of staff and development of services."
This was placed, he said, against the Minister's commitment to develop programmes such as the national cancer strategy, and development of major hospitals. "There is a conflict here between the announcement of the building of facilities or a series of services without providing the money."
According to the general press statement from the Department of Finance the gross spending on health will increase by £11.5 million over the 1996 outturn.
It said that provision had been made for the implementation of the PCW, for the 1997 effects of non pay inflation and of developments phased in over 1995 and 1996.
"This funding for development will enable health agencies to continue with a wide range of programmes approved by Government including acute hospitals, mental handicap, physically disabled, nurse training, psychiatric services, elderly, child care and AIDS/HIV."
The capital allocation of £108 million provides for development in hospital services including Tallaght, St Luke's and St Anne's, the Dublin Dental Hospital, Limerick Regional, Waterford Regional as well as a wide range of community based facilities.