Vol. 545 No. 1
216 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Health and Children when he will issue a direction to the health boards to enable a refund of nursing home subventions to be paid to families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29848/01]
The provision which allowed for the assessment of the capacity of the adult sons and-or daughters of older people who applied for nursing home subventions to contribute towards the cost of their parent's nursing home care was deleted from 1 January 1999. As the Deputy is aware, it has been decided that moneys should be paid to those who were adversely affected by this provision. A group representing the Department, the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority was established to ensure that this process is carried out on a uniform basis as speedily as possible. Instructions as to how the payments should be made issued recently from my Department and funding was made available to commence the making of these payments from 1 November 2001.
