Vol. 473 No. 4
175 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Health whether a directive has issued to health boards to make up any shortfalls in subventions for elderly people on the maximum rate in private nursing homes who would otherwise require places in public nursing homes; whether additional funding has been, or is to be, made available to the health boards for this purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1506/97]
Limerick East): The Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990 which came into effect on 1 September 1993 has two principal objectives. First, to ensure high standards of accommodation and care in all registered nursing homes registered by health boards under the Act, and second to provide a new system of nursing home subvention so that dependent persons most in need of nursing home care have access to such care.
A number of changes were made to the subvention scheme last year by amending regulations which came into effect on 31 July 1996. One of these changes permits health boards to contract beds in nursing homes above the number contracted on 1 September 1993 and to pay more than the maximum rates of subvention in such cases. This amendment is to facilitate health boards which do not have sufficient accommodation in their hospitals and homes to meet the needs of those requiring nursing care and which have traditionally relied on the nursing home sector to meet this need. Additional funding has been made available to health boards in 1996 and 1997 to meet the increased expenditure under the Act, including the cost of the amendment mentioned above.
