Michael Finucane
Question:121 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health and Children when payment of arrears owing on the family liability assessment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [30325/01]
Written Answers. - Nursing Home Subventions.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the provision in the nursing home subvention regulations which allowed for the assessment of the capacity of the adult sons or daughters of older people who applied for nursing home subventions to contribute towards the cost of their parent's nursing home care and which was deleted from the 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 were issued from my Department and funding was made available to commence these payments from 1 November 2001. In relation to the case referred to by the Deputy, as the provision of health services in the Limerick area rests with the Mid-Western Health Board, I have asked the chief executive officer of the board to investigate the case and respond directly to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.