Vol. 518 No. 4
197 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Health and Children the estimated cost of increasing the maximum subvention for a person in a nursing home to £200 with pro rata increases for the other levels of subvention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12062/00]
The payment of a subvention under the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, is aimed at providing assistance towards the cost of private nursing home fees and is not intended to meet the full cost of nursing home care.
Expenditure on the scheme has increased from £4 million in 1993, when the scheme was introduced, to £38.4 million in 2000. An increase in the maximum rate of subvention from £120 per week to £200 per week would represent an increase in the region of 67%. An increase in subvention rates, generally, of 67% would cost at least £25.73 million per annum. However, account also has to be taken of the fact that many subventions are abated by reference to the means of the applicant; the increase in these cases could be in excess of 67% and this would mean that the total cost of the increase would be greater than £25.73 million per annum. In order to ascertain an accurate figure, the case of each individual in receipt of subvention would have to be examined.
