Ministers warned against ‘geographical top-up’ grants

Ministers who give grants to groups in their own constituencies without explaining why should be accused of "geographical top-ups" in the same way as charity officials have been criticised for misusing public money.

A leading patient group took the stand after a second day of concerns over significant lottery funding increases in Health Minister James Reilly’s constituency since he came to power in 2011.

Official figures show that, in the three years since the Fine Gael-Labour coalition swept to power, groups in Dr Reilly’s Dublin North constituency received major increases in support from the Department of Health’s national lottery discretionary fund.

Groups in Dr Reilly’s constituency received no funding in 2009, €44,000 in 2010 and €10,000 in 2011, out of total funding pots of €3.985m (0% of total), €3.985m (1.1%) and €3.786m (0.26%) in those years.

However, when the embattled health minister took office, funding increased to €228,500 in 2011, before dropping to €195,000 in 2012 and €70,000 last year.

This is despite total national payouts falling to €3.286m for each of the years in question — meaning Dublin North’s percentage of total funding rose to 6.95% in 2011, and 5.93% in 2012, before dropping to 2.13% in 2013.

The Department of Health said the increases, which include times that Dr Reilly overruled the advice of officials, were to “correct historic under-funding”.

However, the Irish Patients’ Association said the figures suggest a form of “geographical top-ups” for areas which are home to high-profile politicians.

While stopping short of accusing the minister of any wrongdoing, IPA chairman Stephen McMahon said the issue underlines the need for politicians to learn from the charity top-ups saga and ensure public money is not being misused elsewhere.

“Money should not be handed out without full transparency at the behest of any minister. What is to say there isn’t a well-deserving group in north Donegal or west Kerry that is going without because it doesn’t have a minister in the area?

“I’m not saying there’s anything wrong in any of the Dublin North groups receiving the money, but we need to have complete transparency in the process.

“Otherwise this is another form of geographical top-ups.”