I propose to take Questions Nos. 335 to 339, inclusive, together.
All nursing homes are subject to the same core standards and regulations in relation to quality and safety in order to ensure the well-being of their residents.
All public nursing homes are currently registered with the Health Information and Quality Authority. However given the age of public facilities (25% are over 100 years) a significant number of public facilities face particular challenges in relation to their physical structure. Given that demand for capital investment far exceeds the funding available investment must be allocated as objectively as possible based on the HSE's assessment of priorities. Currently the funding for the Services for Older People programme focuses on the upgrade and refurbishment of existing facilities to achieve HIQA compliance.
Work is underway on the next multi-annual capital plan for the period 2015-2019 and the needs and priorities in relation to the CNU programme will be considered again in this context. However there is limited funding available for new projects given the level of commitments and the costs to completion already in place.