Vol. 418 No. 7
198 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health the way in which he proposes to finance the proposed equitable system for the payment of subventions on standard criteria throughout the country to patients requiring long-stay care in nursing homes in those health board areas where no such subventions are being paid.
Section 7 of the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990 provides that a health board may pay a subvention towards the cost of care in a registered nursing home for a person, following an assessment of his or her dependency and means and circumstances. Regulations are being drafted to provide for a new system of subvention in accordance with the Act.
Half a million pounds has already been made available to assist health boards with the implementation of the new legislation.
Priorities for the development of services for the elderly in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress include the implementation of the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990.
