Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 2

Written Answers. - Nursing Home Subventions.

Bernard Allen

Question:

308 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children when he proposes to reply to correspondence received from the Southern Health Board regarding the enhanced nursing home subvention payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23969/01]

Bernard Allen

Question:

309 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason he has not responded to the Southern Health Board's request for a meeting regarding the nursing home subvention scheme; and the date he received the request for the meeting. [23970/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 308 and 309 together.

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, with euro equivalents of 114.28, 152.37 and 190.46, in accordance with three levels of dependency – medium, high, maximum – which are eligible for subvention. The new rates represent a 25% increase, and were introduced on 1 April last.

A health board may pay more than the maximum rate of subvention relative to an individual's level of dependency, for example, in cases where personal funds are exhausted. Articles 22.3 and 22.4 of the Nursing Home (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, permit health boards to contract beds in private nursing homes and to pay more than the maximum rates of subvention in such cases. However, the application of these provisions is a matter for the individual health board concerned in the context of meeting increasing demands for subventions within the board's revenue allocation as notified annually in the letters of determination. This is in keeping with the provisions of the Health (Amendment) (No. 3) Act, 1996.

The situation in the Southern Health Board area is that the board has received a significantly increased number of claims from patients for enhanced payments in accordance with Articles 22.3 and 22.4. It is a matter for the board to determine the extent to which it can meet such claims consistent with its requirement to live within its overall revenue allocation and taking account of the fact that such enhanced payments are discretionary. However, in the interest of avoiding hardship to individual patients, my Department has been in regular contact with the board in an effort to find a solution which would take cognisance of the considerations outlined above. Pro gress has been made to meet the most immediate individual problems and discussions are continuing in an effort to reach agreement on a more long-term approach to the issue.

Nonetheless, I received a request for a meeting from the Southern Health Board in July 2001. A response issued from my office indicating my regret at my unavailability at that time but stating that officials from my office would contact the board to set up a meeting in the future. A further letter was received from the board in September. It is still my intention that, as previously advised, I will meet the Southern Health Board to discuss this issue. In the interim, officials from my Department have met representatives of the Southern Health Board and remain in regular contact with them. I am being kept fully informed of the situation. In the meantime, my Department will continue to liaise with all the health boards on a regular basis during the remainder of 2001 in relation to the operation of the scheme.