Vol. 564 No. 1
231 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the fact that since 1990 he has made it clear that the provision of incontinence wear in nursing homes should be covered by medical card and that this will be only implemented in April 2003 in the Mid-Western Health Board area, he will make this retrospective to the time of persons entering nursing homes. [8900/03]
The implementation of the provision whereby incontinence wear should be supplied to medical card holders in private nursing homes is a matter for each health board in the context of its overall revenue allocation as notified annually in the letters of determination. The request to health boards to implement this provision issued from my Department in February 2001. The retrospective application of the provision by the Mid-Western Health Board would be a matter for the board to decide in the light of the financial resources at its disposal.
