Ciarán Cuffe
Question:119 Mr. Cuffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she has plans to review the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31603/04]
View answerWednesday, 1 December 2004
Questions (95)
Written answers
A working group comprising all stakeholders has been established by the Department of Health and Children to review the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990 and associated regulations. The group was established following the publication of Professor Eamon O'Shea's report, Review of the Nursing Home Subvention Scheme, and the Mercer report on the future financing of long-term care, which was commissioned by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The review will take into account issues which have arisen over the years arising from the interpretation of certain aspects of the 1990 Act and regulations, as well as the Ombudsman's report on the operation of the scheme. The objective of the review is to develop a scheme that will be transparent, offer a high standard of care for clients, provide equity in the system to include standardised dependency and means testing, be less discretionary, provide 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 existing scheme.