Jackie Healy-Rae
Question:262 Mr. Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health and Children when the Southern Health Board will receive the enhanced subvention payment for nursing home patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19826/01]
Vol. 540 No. 1
262 Mr. Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health and Children when the Southern Health Board will receive the enhanced subvention payment for nursing home patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19826/01]
294 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has allocated, or will allocate, extra funding to health boards in order to fund the provision of top-up subventions for elderly citizens who are unable to afford nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20132/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 294 together.
The Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, which came into effect on 1 September 1993, has two principal objectives. The first is to ensure high standards of accommodation and care in all nursing homes registered under the Act. The second is to provide a new system of nursing home subvention so that dependent persons most in need of nursing home care will have access to such care.
Under the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, health boards provide subventions to assist persons in meeting the costs of nursing home care. It was never intended that subventions would meet the full costs involved. Apart from arrangements entered into under Article 22.3 of the Nursing Home (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, which allows a health board enter into an arrangement with a private nursing home, the placement of a person in a private nursing home and the fees charged is a private arrangement between the nursing home and the individual resident.
The Nursing Homes (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, are administered by the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority. There are currently three maximum rates of subvention payable, £90, £120 and £150, and these are in accordance with the three levels of dependency which are eligible for subvention, medium, high and maximum. The new rates represent a 25% increase and were introduced on 1 April.