Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2004
403 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of applications received by the South Western Area Health Board for enhanced subvention in the past year; the waiting list for such subvention; the plans he has to review the scheme in view of the imbalance of costs for nursing homes within the South Western Area Health Board region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9031/04]
View answerThe provision of health services in this area is, in the first instance, the responsibility of the South Western Area Health Board acting under aegis of the Eastern Regional Health Authority. As the information sought by the Deputy is not held in my Department, the regional chief executive of the authority has been asked to investigate the matter raised and reply direct to him as a matter of urgency.
A review of the nursing home regulations is currently underway involving all of the key stakeholders. The objective of the review is to develop a scheme which will be transparent, offer a high standard of care for clients, provide equity within the system to include standardised dependency and means testing, be less discretionary, provide both a home and nursing home subvention depending on need, be consistent in implementation throughout the country, be financially sustainable and draw on experience of the operation of the old scheme.
