Vol. 532 No. 2
147 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will report on the levels of nursing home subvention, the qualifying criteria and rates for enhanced subventions and if he will make a statement on the adequacy of the current provision. [7134/01]
The Nursing Homes (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, are administered by the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority. There are currently three maximum rates of subvention payable, £70, £95, £120 in accordance with three levels of dependency, medium, high, maximum which are eligible for subvention. However, it is the intention to increase the rates by 25% to £90, £120 and £150, from 1 April next.
A health board may pay more than the maximum rate of subvention relative to an individual's level of dependency, for example in cases where personal funds are exhausted. Sections 22.3 and 22.4 of the Nursing Home (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, permit health boards to contract beds in private nursing homes and to pay more than the maximum rates of subvention in such cases. The application of these provisions is a matter for the individual health board concerned, in the context of meeting increasing demands for subventions within available resources.
