Committee Reports::Report - National Health Insurance Bill, 1933::22 June, 1933::Proceedings of the Joint Committee

IMEACHTA AN ROGHA-CHOISTE.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE.

Déardaoin, 22° Meitheamh, 1933.

Thursday, 22nd June, 1933.

1. The Select Committee met at 11 a.m.


2. Present: Senator M. F. O’Hanlon (in the Chair) and Senators Sir Edward Bigger, Caitlín Bean Uí Chléirigh, J. C. Dowdall, Thomas Farren and Sir John Keane.


The Minister for Local Government and Public Health was also present.


3. The Select Committee took up consideration of the Bill.


(1) Sections 1 to 7, inclusive, agreed to.


(11) New section.


Amendment proposed (Senator Dowdall):


Before section 8 to insert a new section as follows:—


“8. A qualified public auditor not occupying any official position shall be appointed and shall issue as soon as may be after the termination of each year accounts of revenue and expenditure, including in detail costs of administration, and a balance sheet.”


Amendment withdrawn.


(iii) Sections 8 to 21, inclusive, agreed to.


(iv) Section 22.


Amendment proposed (Senator Counihan):


Sub-section (1). After the word “employment” in line 12 to insert the words “in the same area”.


Question put, and negatived.


Amendment proposed (Senator Dowdall):


Sub-section (7). To add at the end of the sub-section the words “and any amount so repayable may be paid in instalments extending over such period as the Minister may consider reasonable”.


Question put, and agreed to.


Amendment proposed (Senator Farren):


To add at the end of the section a new sub-section as follows:—


“(10) Where a part-time employee of an approved society at the date of transfer is not offered employment by the Unified Society, and is not entitled to compensation under the foregoing provisions of this section, then, provided that he was so employed by such approved society on the 30th day of June, 1932, he shall be entitled to receive a gratuity from the Unified Society on the basis of one month’s remuneration, excluding expenses, for each completed year of service, calculated on his average monthly remuneration for the year 1932.”


Question put, and agreed to.


Section 22, as amended, agreed to.


(v) Sections 23 to 32, inclusive, agreed to.


(vi) Schedule agreed to.


(vii) Title agreed to.


4. Draft Report of the Chairman brought forward, read and passed as follows:


The Select Committee has gone through the Bill and the Bill as amended is returned to the Seanad.


As a result of its deliberations the Committee is of opinion that it is essential that the National Health Insurance Bill, 1933 should be passed if a scheme of national health insurance is to continue without serious financial embarrassment.


The main defects in the present system that appear from the evidence tendered would seem to arise from the difficulty of control in the matter of medical certification and non-compliance with the existing law. In both these respects it is likely that the provisions of the National Health Insurance Bill, 1933 will enable improvements to be made.


The following amendments have been inserted in the Bill by the Select Committee:—


(1) Section 22, sub-section (7). The following words added at the end of the sub-section:—


“and any amount so repayable may be paid in instalments extending over such period as the Minister may consider reasonable.”


(2) Section 22. A new sub-section added at the end of the section as follows:—


“(10) Where a part-time employee of an approved society at the date of transfer is not offered employment by the Unified Society, and is not entitled to compensation under the foregoing provisions of this section, then, provided that he was so employed by such approved society on the 30th day of June, 1932, he shall be entitled to receive a gratuity from the Unified Society on the basis of one month’s remuneration, excluding expenses, for each completed year of service, calculated on his average monthly remuneration for the year 1932.”


Ordered: To report accordingly.


5. The Select Committee concluded its business at 1.5 p.m.