asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the alarm which has been caused by the decision to suspend all subventions to any new applicants for admission to nursing homes until January, 1990; to the hardship this is causing to many families; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Subventions to Nursing Home Patients.
318.
I am informed by the Eastern Health Board that while budgetary pressures have caused a slowdown in the approval of new subventions since July of this year all grants have not been suspended. Where special circumstances exist, e.g. physical risk or hardship, a small number of new subventions are being approved during the second half of 1989.
The number of bed days being subvented by the Eastern Health Board in private nursing homes has increased each year over the last number of years as follows: 1986, 358,042; 1987, 363,250; 1988, 372,134; 1989, (projected), 388,932.
The health board provided £2.111 million for this purpose in 1988 and will provide £2.387 million in the current year.