Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 2

Written Answers. - Nursing Home Subventions.

Richard Bruton

Question:

95 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if the maximum rates of nursing home subvention or the thresholds or assessment rules used in the means test for this subvention are being changed in the context of the recently published Estimates; and when the new provision will come into operation. [23928/99]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Dr. Moffatt)

The rate of nursing home subvention and the threshold and assessment rules used in the means test for the payment of subvention are governed by the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990.

There are three maximum levels of subvention payable – £70, £95, £120 – in accordance with three levels of dependency – medium, high, maximum. The funding provided for the scheme has increased from £17 million in 1996 to £33 million in 1999. This is due to the continuous increase in the number of people in receipt of subvention, their higher levels of dependency, resulting in more people receiving the maximum rate of subvention, and other improvements in the scheme, for example, the removal of the provision which allowed health boards to assess the capacity of adult sons and daughters to contribute towards the cost of nursing home care of a parent.

As regards funding for the scheme in 2000, my priority is to ensure that health boards are provided with adequate resources to meet increasing demands on the scheme and I am keeping under review the scope that exists for effecting further improvements in the terms of the scheme.