Vol. 413 No. 7
5 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if she will outline the new arrangements which will be in place for subventing private nursing homes; the amount of extra funds provided in the 1991 Estimates; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
6 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if she intends to make regulations under the Health Private Nursing Home Act, 1989 which would allow and empower health boards to pay subvention to eligible patients in private nursing homes; if funding has been provided to health boards for this purpose in 1991; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
70 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health when subvention will be extended to private nursing homes; the reason for the delay in the implementation of this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
78 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Health when section 7 of the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1989 will be brought into effect.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 6, 70 and 78 together.
Section 7 of the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, provides for the payment by health boards of subventions towards the cost of maintenance of dependent people in private nursing homes.
Before the Act can be commenced, regulations, covering a number of matters in the Act have to be completed. Work on these regulations is at an advanced stage, including the drafting of regulations to provide for the payment of subventions for eligible people placed in registered nursing homes.
The new subventions will be paid by health boards subject to a means test and an assessment of the level of dependency or impairment of the person applying for a subvention. The amount of the subvention paid in each case will vary depending on the means of the person and his or her level of dependency.
Substantial expenditure on subventions to nursing homes under sections 26 and 54 of the Health Act, 1970, are made by the health boards at present. An additional £0.5 million has been made available this year to health boards to assist with the implementation of the Act. The need for further additional funding to implement the Act is being kept under review. It is my intention that the new Act should come into operation as soon as possible.
On a point of order, can I take it that other Deputies will be allowed in, since we are linking a number of questions?
No, it is not in order. The Deputy should know that.
Will the Minister not agree that it is not satisfactory for her Department, who agreed to this system of subvention in 1988, to still talk about regulations being at an advanced stage? Would the Minister further agree that under the present subvention, new nursing homes have not been given any subvented beds since 1981, so virtually all of the new homes with the best facilities have no opportunity of a subvention for their patients?
The Health (Nursing Homes) Act was passed in 1990 and the Act allowed for the making of regulations which will allow the Act to be brought into effect.
Would the Minister now give us a definite date for the introduction of this subvention to nursing homes? Would she not agree that the Department knew that this system of subvention was going to come in, as far back as 1988 and that it is not acceptable that it takes 12 months to produce regulations after the passage of the Act?
It would be entirely precipitate for any Department to presage an Act by having regulations ready. As the Deputy knows, the Bill must be passed and the amendments and the regulations are then made. I agree that the Bill is very important. It is one in which I took particular interest. I understand that the Department hope to have the regulations completed quite early in the new year.
They were promised before the end of this year.
I have no control over that.
