Vol. 489 No. 6
464 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will increase the level of nursing home subvention to cater for the changed circumstances in view of the increase in the costs of operating nursing homes, the consequent increase in rates for residents and the fact that no adjustment has been made to the calculation of the average cost of providing for a bed unit in a nursing home since 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9375/98]
The Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, which was enacted on 1 September 1993, gives powers to the health boards to enforce high standards of accommodation and care in nursing homes. The Act also introduced a new system of nursing home subventions so that dependent people most in need of nursing home care would have access to such care. The scheme is intended to assist persons in meeting the costs of nursing home care but is not intended to meet the full costs involved.
An additional sum of £6.9 million was allocated in 1997 to the health boards to meet the increasing demand for subventions towards the cost of care of older people in nursing homes, i.e. increasing numbers of applications and the higher level of dependency among applicants, together with additional expenditure associated with the amendment to the Nursing Home Regulations in July 1996. This amendment included a provision which permitted health boards to pay a nursing home subvention above the maximum rate applicable to the level of dependency of the applicant.
There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to increase the levels of subvention and this will be considered within the context of resources available to the health sevices.
