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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 28 Mar 2002

Vol. 551 No. 4

Written Answers. - Nursing Home Subventions.

Denis Naughten

Question:

156 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide funding to the Western Health Board to pay outstanding pocket money under the nursing home subvention regulations to non-contributory pensioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10947/02]

An additional allocation of £4 million, €5.08 million, was made available in the 1998 letters of determination to six of the eight health boards to meet the costs of arrears payments in respect of the full implementation of the Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990, and subsequent regulations. These arrears payments arose from an incorrect application within these board areas of article 8.2 of the Nursing Home (Subvention) Regulations, 1993 which allows health boards disregard a sum equivalent to 0.2 of the old age non-contributory pension when assessing means and calculating the amount of subvention to be paid. Of this allocation, a sum of £750,000, €952,304, was provided to the Western Health Board.

My Department has been advised by the Western Health Board that there were 1,242 cases where arrears were due under article 8.2, to the value of €816,996. To date, 1,037 cases, 91%, have been repaid at a cost of €733,027. Currently, there are 106 cases, 9%, outstanding to the value of €83,969. The Western Health Board has assured me that every effort will be made to complete the making of these payments as a matter of urgency.
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