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Nursing Home Subventions.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 December 2004

Tuesday, 14 December 2004

Questions (85, 86)

James Breen

Question:

106 Mr. J. Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason subvention rates and qualifications differ in parts of the country. [33160/04]

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James Breen

Question:

107 Mr. J. Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason subvention does not cover the costs of the services of community occupational therapist, social worker or physiotherapist. [33161/04]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 107 together.

The nursing home subvention scheme was introduced to help with the cost of private nursing home care and was never intended to cover full cost of private nursing home care. In accordance with nursing home (subvention) regulations 1993, three rates of subvention are payable on a weekly basis as follows: medium dependency, €114.30; high dependency, €152.40; and maximum dependency, €190.50. The subvention rates are statutorily based and 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.

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