Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2004
56 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to claims made by the Federation of Irish Nursing Homes that more than 1,000 elderly patients in nursing homes are being asked to pay top up fees of between €60 and €80 per week due to the fact that health boards have failed to increase subvention payments; the steps he intends to take to address this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18389/04]
View answerI understand that the Federation of Irish Nursing Homes represents private nursing homes in the eastern part of the country in the area for which the Eastern Regional Health Authority has responsibility.
In accordance with Nursing Home (Subvention) Regulations, 1993, three rates of subvention are payable. They are €114.30, €152.40 and €190.50 per week in respect of the three levels of dependency which are medium, high and maximum. The subvention rates were increased by 25% with effect from April 2001.
Under the terms of section 22.3 and 22.4 of the Nursing Home (Subvention) Regulations, a health board may, at its discretion, pay more than the maximum rate of subvention in particular circumstances such as, for example, where an individual's personal funds are exhausted or where an individual is unable to meet the gap between the nursing home charge and the amount which he/she can contribute. The application of these provisions is a matter for the individual health board concerned in the context of meeting increasing demands for subvention within the board's revenue allocation as notified in the letter of determination. This is in keeping with the provisions of the Health (Amendment) (No 3) Act, 1996.
In the case of the Eastern Regional Health Authority administrative area there were on average 2,642 people in receipt of subvention in 2003. On average 1,359 persons in receipt of subvention were fully subvented, in other words, the full cost of their accommodation was paid with, in some cases, a contribution from them. A further 699 or 26% were in receipt of enhanced subvention at a rate above the maximum rate approved for their level of dependency. In 2003 the total spent on the nursing home subvention scheme in the Eastern Regional Health Authority amounted to approximately €63 million with the demand for subvention continuing to grow.
It is open to any individual who finds himself/herself unable to afford the cost of nursing home care to make an application to his/her local health board for a subvention towards the cost.
