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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 30 Jun 1994

Vol. 444 No. 7

Written Answers. - Nursing Homes' Funding.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

138 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health his views on the situation that exists whereby large numbers of private nursing homes have not received payment from health boards over a considerable period of time; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

139 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the number of nursing homes in each health board area throughout the country awaiting payments from their respective health boards; if his attention has been drawn to a backlog in this area at present; the steps, if any, he has taken or intends to take to alleviate the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I intend to take Questions Nos. 138 and 139 together.

The Health (Nursing Homes) Act, 1990 which I was pleased to bring into effect on 1 September 1993 has two principal objectives: firstly, to ensure high standards of accommodation and care in all nursing homes registered by health boards under the Act and, secondly, to provide a new system of nursing home subvention so that dependent persons most in need of nursing home care would have access to such care. The new Act is a major step forward in ensuring that dependent elderly persons in this country will be well cared for.

So far a total of £9 million has been made available in 1994 for the implementation of the Nursing Homes Act, 1990. Funding was allocated to health boards on the basis of the size of the nursing home sector and expected demand under the new subvention scheme.

I have been in contact with the health boards to establish the extent to which boards are up-to-date in payments due in respect of subventions approved under the Act. All of the health boards, with the exception of the Western Health Board, have paid invoices for subventions from nursing home proprietors up to 31 May 1994 with the exception of some homes which have yet to provide tax clearance certificates or who are having difficulties with registration. In the case of the Western Health Board, arrangements are being made to have outstanding invoices cleared as a matter of urgency.
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