Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981

Financing of health board expenditure.

[1975 SWA, s. 20; S.I. No. 156 of 1977 ]

218.—(1) Every local authority which, immediately before 1st July, 1977, was a public assistance authority shall pay to the health board in whose functional area the functional area of the local authority is included in respect of each year a sum representing—

(a) the total expenditure by such local authority on home assistance in the year ending on 31st December, 1975, and

(b) a proportion of 40 per cent, of the amount by which the total expenditure by all health boards on supplementary welfare allowance in the year for which payment is due exceeds the total expenditure by all local authorities on home assistance in the year ending on 31st December, 1975, the said proportion of 40 per cent, payable by such authority being that which the total expenditure on home assistance by that authority in the year ending on 31st December, 1975, bears to the total expenditure by all local authorities on such assistance in that year.

(2) In determining the amount of expenditure on home assistance and supplementary welfare allowance for the purposes of subsection (1), the costs of administration shall be excluded.

(3) The expenditure of a health board on the administration of supplementary welfare allowance shall be paid by the local authorities which, immediately before 1st July, 1977, were public assistance authorities having their functional areas in the functional area of the health board.

(4) Section 32 of the Health Act, 1970 , which relates to the agreement or, in the absence of agreement, the determination of the manner of the sharing of contributions between local authorities, shall with any necessary modifications apply to payments under subsection (3) in like manner as it applies to contributions under the said section 32.

(5) The Minister may by regulations specify the manner in which and the times at which payments shall be made by local authorities to health boards under subsection (1) and, where appropriate, any such regulations may provide for interim payments calculated in accordance with estimates furnished by a health board pursuant to section 217 .

(6) (a) Where any sum is due and payable under this Chapter to a health board by a local authority, the amount of that sum may be deducted from any money payable to that local authority from funds provided by the Oireachtas for any purpose whatsoever.

(b) Every amount deducted pursuant to paragraph (a) shall be paid to the health board concerned and shall be credited in the accounts of that health board as a payment by the local authority concerned of the sum in respect of which the amount was so deducted.

(7) References to supplementary welfare allowance in this section shall be construed as including reference to the cost of burials pursuant to section 216 .

(8) The Minister shall, out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas, make grants to health boards to defray so much of their expenditure on supplementary welfare allowance as is not met by income under this section.